Crispy Halibut with Pistou
When I was about 13 my uncle went to Alaska for work and managed to find the time to get out on a halibut charter. He was lucky enough to catch a pretty big fish and came back with around 100 pounds of vacuum sealed filets. That was the first time I remember having halibut and I've enjoyed it immensely ever since. It's a flaky fish that can stand up to a grill or a rigorous sear.
I started by making a breading for the fish with panko, shredded parmigiano reggiano, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley. Pack the fish into the breading and make sure it is covered well. Place the fish on some parchment paper and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help the breading stay on the fish during the cooking and also slow down the entire process, allowing you to get a nice crispy crust on the fish without overcooking it.
Pistou is just a pesto without pinenuts (or any nut). Use a food processor and really pulverize a big handful of basil, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add water to thin it out if necessary (it will be).
A few months back my mother gave me a bag of garlic parmesan angel hair pasta, and I thought this would be a nice starch for the plate. Along with the pasta and the fish I picked up some baby squashes at a farmer's market this past weekend and decided to pan sear them.
After the vegetables are cooked, deglaze the pan with a splash of lemon juice then add some water. Transfer the water to a pot and boil the pasta in it. Reserve some of the boiling liquid when draining.
Heat about 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan and add the crusted fish. Resist the urge to move the filets for at least 3 minutes. Baste the filets with the butter over medium high heat.
When you've cooked both sides, allow the fish to rest on a paper towel for a few minutes and make a pan sauce with some of the reserved pasta water.
Plate the pasta with the squash around it and the fish on top. I poured the pan sauce under the fish, but when I make something like this again, I'll toss the pasta in the sauce before plating. Then drizzle pistou around the plate and on the fish.
After a pretty poor meal at one of Baltimore's more popular restaurants last week this was a great dinner for a Monday night. It took about 40 minutes start to finish and tasted bright and fresh. A really nice summer dish. The cheese in the breading really made the outside crispy while the fish stayed flaky and light. I'd imagine a restaurant would charge $35 for this, I made two portions for about $18.