Just for the Halibut

It has been a very busy culinary week or two. My friends Bill and Steph called and asked if I would cook some Halibut they had ordered from Alaska. I said most certainly! I think Halibut is probably the tastiest fish on the planet next to fresh Walleye from Minnesota or Canada and I jumped at the chance. It's not every day we get to enjoy Alaskan Halibut.
Bill and Steph had invited four other friends to the party so we came up with a menu for the event; on the list was a Butternut Squash Bisque for the soup course, Popovers, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brown Rice Pilaf, Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Roasted Halibut with spices and Chardonnay and a Caramel Apple Pie for dessert. Jack and Patti were in charge of the dessert and wine and brought the pie as well as a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Steph made the Popovers and Hollandaise and I cooked the Asparagus and two versions of Halibut. My favorite is the Pistachio Crusted version which is the same recipe I developed for Walleye. It's the same for either fish so here is the recipe:
6 T Unsalted Butter
3 Lbs. Halibut fillets
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T Lemon Juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup ground, salted Pistachio nuts (green) pulsed in a food processor to approximately 1/8" pieces.
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs ( English muffin pulsed in a food processor until fairly fine)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.
Mix the ground Pistachios and fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl along with the 2T melted unsalted butter until well combined. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the 6 T butter and pour in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay the Halibut fillets in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle the Shallots and Garlic on top of the fillets. Mix the wine and lemon juice together and carefully pour over the fillets, not disturbing the shallots and garlic. Spread the Pistachio mix over the fillets. Bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork and the Pistachios are golden brown on top.
The Asparagus is very simple; cut off the woody stems and rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve with Hollandaise drizzled over it.
The Butternut Squash Bisque is a bit more complicated and I'll give you that in another installment.
The other event that took place was a Gourmet Food Club Brunch that was held at my friends Bruce and Lisa's house on Saturday the 22nd. It was a very nice brunch as they always are.
Our menu consisted of 3 types of Ebelskivers; Crab filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli,
Plain with a Sausage Gravy and a version filled with crisp Proscuitto and Fig Jam. My friend Anita made two types of Roasted Breakfast Potatoes. Casey made two types of Egg Bake; one with Sweet Potatoes, Beets and Cayenne, and the other with Artichoke Hearts. Lisa made a French Toast with Wild Blueberries and Cinnamon as well as Buttermilk Cupcakes stuffed with Italian Crema and topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas made with Prosecco, Orange juice and a smackerel of Grenadine. It was a marvelous meal and a great time with some very good friends.
Good Eating,
Tim