Halibut Bruschetta with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Recipe by Eric Keener
A good friend of Fin + Forage and local farmer, Johnny “Abalone” caught a huge halibut on Friday, July 3rd. He was pulling his kayak up to shore just as we (Eric’s family) were coming back from our own family kayak trip. “Squiggles”, as we affectionately nick-named our daughter, could not take her eyes off of the fish that was bigger than she was! Johnny stopped by the next day to graciously gift us one of the best parts of the fillet - the “tenderloin”, as he called it. That single fillet lasted our family of 3 for two whole dinners! Here is what I made for dinner number 1:
Artichoke Bruschetta
Ingredients
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 Cup red onion, diced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp mayonaise
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of salt
Method
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate.
Sun-dried Tomato Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
1 Cup orzo pasta
1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 Cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese
Pinch of Salt
Pepper to taste
Method
Add a pinch of salt to 4 cups of water and boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (about 9 minutes) then drain.
Add the basil and tomatoes together on a chopping block and rough chop multiple times.
In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients.
Halibut
Bring the fillet out at least 30 minutes prior to cooking it (or much earlier if it was previously frozen); as with most meats, you don’t want to throw a cold chunk of meat onto the pan because it won’t cook evenly.
When you bring it out of the fridge, coat it in olive oil, salt, pepper, a dash of garlic powder, chili flakes and a little paprika.
Here are the keys to cooking a great fish fillet:
1) Make sure the pan is already very hot with the oil before adding the fish; you’ll want your heat around a 7.5/10 or medium-high.
2) Add the fish and DON’T MOVE IT. Don’t flip it multiple times. Don’t shift it around. Don’t check the underside etc. Nearly the entire cooking process will be done on just one side. As the fish cooks, you will see it become less translucent and more white.
3) Gently flip the fish just as the opaque color reaches the top side of the fillet. Keep the pan on the heat for about 30 seconds, then remove it from the heat and take the fish off the pan. The fish will continue to cook even when it is off the pan, so be careful not to overcook it.
Serve the fish brown side up. If cooked correctly, the fish will be just done all the way through with a delicious brown crust on top. Drizzle the top of the fillet with lemon juice to finish.
Toast with Herb Crusted Goat Cheese
Slice a piece of Ciabatta horizontally and butter both sides. Dust with garlic powder, salt and smoked paprika, then broil until brown. Add your soft goat cheese (I used herb crusted).
Plating
Put a mound of the orzo offset on a dark plate and gently lay the fillet on top. Top the fillet with the bruschetta. Add the toast to the side of the orzo. I garnished the plate with parsley leaves, parsley flowers, cilantro flowers and lemon.