Day 64, Just For the Halibut, Quarantine Kitchen

It's wild Alaskan halibut season and I'm in!  Halibut is my favorite fish, it's big, flaky, and tastes like chicken, what's not to love?  Right now you can find it in your local market; warning, it will be expensive, but you only need 4-ounce portions, so a pound will feed four easily.  The meat is thick fleshed and cooks up in a 400-degree oven in about 10 to 12 minutes.  My favorite way to make this is to top it with some fresh breadcrumbs mixed with Parmigiano Reggiano, a bit of lemon zest, basil and Italian parsley.  I keep the breadcrumb mixture in the freezer so I can grab it and use it on lots of things like my Nonna's stuffed tomatoes in the summer. The bread crumb mixture is a great way to get rid of stale bread, too. 
This recipe applies to all thick fleshed fish, like salmon, or sea bass.  We had Chino farms' corn for dinner the night before, so I stripped the leftovers off the cob and sauteed them in a bit of butter, and chives.  Perfect accompaniment. 

   The 10-Minute Halibut

Serves 6

8 slices sourdough or other firm bread torn into pieces---baguettes have too much crust

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

6 leaves fresh basil

3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional)

2 1/2 pounds halibut fillets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  

Put the bread, garlic, cheese, zest, basil, and parsley into a food processor and pulse on and off to bread up the bread into bread crumbs.  Transfer to a bowl, and toss with the butter.  

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and Old Bay if using.  Paint the fish with the mixture on both sides.  

Mound the bread crumbs on top of the fish, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish registers 155 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer, and the thickest part inside is opaque.  Allow the fish to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  

I had a little more than 1 1/4 pounds and we have enough for another dinner tonight---I'm thinking I may make fish burgers out of it, but the day will tell what I do with it.  

As we ease into another week here in San Diego, we are having some work done on our patio cover, and so there is a bit of hammering and drilling going on.  We are hoping for paint by Thursday.  Please stay safe, stay well, and stay home.