just for the halibut ......

Well, maybe not just for halibut ... maybe it could be for any fish .. but in this case it was definitely halibut. $28.95 worth! Yikes! The price of fish is scary. It used to scare me right away from even attempting to cook fish in my younger days. I was afraid to ruin that much money. I think it took several months of watching the cooking channel til I got brave enough. But, then, I found a couple of recipes and started with a small but delectable piece of fish and I was on my way. Today I was doing 4 good sized fillets so that we could have plan overs as well. Ohhhhh.... and am I glad I did. This recipe is one of Christine Cushing's. Now, don't forget... recipes are just more or less guidelines.... so substitute or leave out spices or anything else you don't particularly like. I have to say here that I have used the sourdough bread for the crumbs as she suggests...but also have used regular bread....and to me, there is absolutely no difference in taste or texture.











Lemon Thyme crusted Halibut with Orange and Tarragon Emulsion.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 x 6 oz. halibut fillets (I leave skin on as it tends to fall apart if you take it off)
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
4 tbsp fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Emulsion

1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp white wine
2 cups orange juice
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
optional... onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, dab of honey

(I often use dried spices and usually cut down on the tarragon and add some Herbs de Provence or Tuscan Herbs instead)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat olive oil and butter in medium skillet. Sear both sides of halibut fillets until caramelized. Cool and set aside.
Put chopped basil, lemon thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs in food processor. Pulse until emulsified.
Brush one side of halibut with Dijon mustard. Press herb mixture onto the mustard to form the crust. Repeat with other pieces of fish.
Bake the fish in lightly oiled casserole or baking sheet for 6 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked through.

(Last time I seemed to have more crumbs and coated more than one side of each fillet). the coating keeps the fish soooo moist. If Dijon is not your thing... try half and half mayo and mustard) ... each time you try this if you change things it will be a bit different, but always amazing.

For the emulsion....

Here I go again...changing things... I like to add some finely chopped onion, a tbsp. of lemon juice and just a little bit of honey to my mix. Make sure to taste as you go...

Saute onion in butter in the pan in which you seared the fish. Add chopped ginger (or some ground ginger spice) the white wine, orange juice, tarragon, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and reduce... it will thicken slightly and you may need to add a bit more juice. Taste test... add a bit more seasoning if desired. You should have just enough for a nice spoonful on each fillet.... it will be quite flavourful..you should not need more than this amount.

We like it with Basmati rice which I usually make with half and half veggie broth and water.











When I looked at the "plan-overs" in the containers...they look too bland...so I quickly steamed some carrots to add and now...they look colourful and taste tempting.