Halibut an ocean-friendly choice
From cold waters of Pacific Northwest, its opalescent flesh among most appealing of any fish
It’s halibut season, and one local fish expert says prices look promising.
“Last year, the season opened at $74 a kilo and kept going up; this year it’s $69 a kilo,” says Rob Clark, co-owner of The Fish Counter (3825 Main Street), which is selling halibut cheeks, halibut cakes, and fish ‘n’ chips.
The cold waters of the Pacific Northwest are home to halibut, one of the largest market fish in the ocean at around 300 pounds and, with its shimmering, opalescent flesh, one of the most appealing.
At Blue Water Café, Frank Pabst has created roasted halibut entrées with squid ink tagliatelle and “zucchini” spaghetti. Montgomery Lau serves a halibut tempura taco with red cabbage, preserved onion and habanero dill yogurt (all gluten-free) in the Wedgewood Hotel’s Bacchus Lounge. And at West restaurant, Bobby Milheron has introduced a two-person halibut dish with slow cooked leeks and maitake mushrooms.
Our featured recipe is from Ned Bell, the Ocean Wise executive chef based at Vancouver Aquarium and founder of the sustainability group Chefs for Oceans. It’s a spectacular way to advance the group’s goal of helping consumers make ocean-friendly seafood choices.
Halibut Burgers with Blueberry Relish SERVES 4
A thick filet of halibut is just as satisfying as a fatty beef patty, and the mild fish is amenable to an array of flavours. Chef Ned Bell slathers the fillets in citrusy mayo and a sweet-savoury blueberry relish that puts ketchup to shame. He piles on a shaved fennel slaw for crunch. If you are short of time, skip the mayo making and combine 1 cup (250 mL) top-quality purchased mayonnaise with 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard and the zest and juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon. (Adapted from Lure: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the West Coast by Ned Bell with Valerie Howes, Figure 1 Publishing, 2017.)
CITRUS MAYO 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 3 tbsp (45 mL) Dijon mustard Zest and juice of 2 limes Zest and juice of 2 lemons 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 1 tsp (5 mL) coarsely ground pepper 2 cups (500 mL) canola oil BLUEBERRY RELISH 2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1½ cups (375 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries (divided) 2 tbsp (30 mL) honey 2 tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar ½ tsp (2.5 mL) tsp sea salt ½ tsp (2.5 mL) coarsely ground pepper
FENNEL SLAW
1 bulb fennel, halved and cored 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice Sea salt and coarsely ground pepper
ROASTED HALIBUT
4 skinless halibut fillets, 4- to 5-oz each (120 -140 g) Sea salt and coarsely ground pepper 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only 1 lemon, halved 4 soft hamburger buns 4 butter lettuce leaves 4 dill pickles, halved lengthwise
▶ Make the mayo: In a food processor or blender, combine the eggs, yolks, mustard, lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is emulsified and all the oil is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
▶ Make the relish: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add 1 cup (250 mL) of the blueberries, the honey, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the blueberries have broken down and the mixture is saucy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) blueberries. Set aside to cool. (Relish can be made and refrigerated several days ahead.)
▶ Make the slaw: Using a mandolin (see Kitchen Hack) or sharp knife, slice the fennel paper thin. Toss in a bowl with the oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
▶ Finish the dish: Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Carefully lay the fish in the pan. (Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan.) Reduce the heat to medium and cook
Kitchen Hack
› If you don’t have a mandoline, use the larger slicer blade on the side of a box grater to thinly slice hard vegetables such as fennel.
for 2 to 3 minutes; until a golden crust forms. Flip the fillets over and add the butter, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon over each fish. Cook, basting with the buttery juices, for another 3 to 4 minutes, until almost opaque all the way through. Transfer to a plate.
▶ Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each bun; top with a filet and a dollop of slaw. Slather the top buns with mayo and close the sandwiches. Serve with blueberry relish and a dill pickle on the side.
Halibut with Hazelnut Crust SERVES 4
You can replace hazelnuts with almonds, walnuts or pecans. This is excellent served with a salad of wild greens tossed with a citrusy vinaigrette, which can also be drizzled on the halibut. 1½ cups (375 mL) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned Pinch of dry mustard 1¼ tsp (6 mL) salt ¼ tsp (6 mL) cayenne pepper 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon zest 1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme 1¼ lb (625 g) skinless halibut filet ¼ cup (60 mL) butter, melted ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil Lemon wedges
▶ Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Place the nuts, mustard, salt, cayenne, zest and thyme in a blender or food processor and pulse just until minced. Place in a large shallow dish and set aside.
▶ Stir together the melted butter and olive oil in a shallow dish. Cut the halibut filet diagonally into 4 pieces about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Dip each piece in the melted butter, coating well. Immediately press each fish firmly into the nut crust mixture, turning and coating all sides well.
▶ Place the coated fish on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for about 8 to 12 minutes, until the coating is nicely browned and the fish just opaque throughout (the timing will depend on thickness of fish). Carefully remove fish to individual plates. Serve with lemon wedges.