Ross and I are always looking for different ways to prepare fish- it's pretty easy to get bored eating salmon and halibut when you have a freezer full of it. So if you have any good fish recipes, please pass 'em along!
When the family came to visit Alaska for Christmas, we made Feta-Basil Crusted Halibut with Risotto and Wilted Spinach. I liked this dish a lot. The saltiness of the feta and the fresh herb flavor of the basil go nicely with the homemade bread crumbs. (I highly suggest buy a nice loaf of bread and making your own breadcrumbs because they're such a big component of this dish). The wilted spinach and the risotto made for a pretty and colorful plating.
Baking the Halibut in the oven. Bake time will depend on your thickest piece!
Jeff learned how to make risotto; a lot of stirring!
Quick and Easy Wilted Spinach
The final look: Halibut atop wilted spinach sitting over creamy risotto.
The cook team.
Here are the recipes, adapted from the
The Bite House:
Feta-Basil Crusted Halibut
• 4 halibut filets
• 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/2-1 cup homemade breadcrumbs*
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• small handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• a few twist of ground black pepper
*To make homemade breadcrumbs bake slices of bread at 300°F until they’re really dry, then crumble in a food processor.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, feta, basil, olive oil, and black pepper.
Lay the halibut in an oiled baking dish and spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on each.
Cover the fish with the crust mixture, and don’t worry about some falling around, you’ll use it on the plate.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the halibut. You want to keep it moist.
Garlic Wilted Spinach
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 handfuls of baby spinach
In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat, add the garlic and swirl around for a minute.
Add the spinach, stir, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for a minute.
Basic Risotto
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2-3 cups water or vegetable or chicken stock
• 100 g aged cheddar, grated
• salt + ground black pepper
Bring the stock (or water) to a simmer, and keep it hot on the back burner at low heat.
In a medium skillet, on medium-high heat cook the onions in 3 tablespoons of butter until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice, stir, and add the white wine. Let it simmer until most of the wine is absorbed.
Laddle in some stock to cover the rice. Keep stirring.
Once the liquid is absorbed, laddle in a bit more stock. Proceed until the rice is al dente. It should take about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the cheddar, and season with salt and black pepper. If the risotto seems too dry, add a few more tablespoons of stock.
1 year ago: Trying to Choose a Pup?
