halibut | Capers in Cooking

If you’re from South Florida, you know that Summer is the BEST time for local corn. It’s absolutely unbeatable. I’ve been known to buy a crate at a time and freeze it to have year-round, because it is just THAT much better this time of year. Something else that is great in Summer? Halibut!! Since it comes from Alaska, it is not readily available year-round. Spring and Summer are the perfect time to enjoy our Alaskan favorites such as Halibut and Wild Salmon.

Sweet Corn Risotto

4 ears of Corn
1/3 cup White Wine
1-1/2 cup Arborio Rice
1 Shallot – minced
2 cloves Garlic – minced
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon of Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Thyme or Basil
2 tablespoons of Milk or Chicken/Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Start by removing the corn from the cob and gathering the rest of your ingredients. Warm the stock over low heat – keep it on the back burner during this entire process. When making risotto, you ONLY add hot stock to the pot… never room temperature or cold. Make sure all your ingredients are on-hand and ready to go!

Heat the butter and olive oil in a very heavy-bottom pot over medium heat (my preferred vessel for risotto is ALWAYS the Dutch Oven). Add the shallot and cook until clear, but not browned.

Add the rice and continue to cook (stirring the entire time) for around 2 minutes. Add the wine (stand back because this will produce a lot of steam). Stir until the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Add the garlic and stir before adding your first cup of stock to the mix.

You will be able to tell that the liquid has been absorbed when you can’t see any in the bottom of the pan.

From here, you will add one cup of hot stock to the rice at a time, stirring after each addition and allowing it to cook until the liquid has been absorbed before you add more. In the meantime, divide the corn in half. Put half of it in the blender or food processor with a few tablespoons of liquid and some thyme or basil (whichever you are using). I used milk, but you could use some of the stock if you were keeping this recipe dairy-free. Blend or process the corn until fairly smooth and put it aside.

It takes about 30 minutes to complete the risotto. During this time, I prepared my Halibut. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I portioned it and dipped the top side into an egg wash (one egg and a tablespoon of milk or water) and then dipped it into the breadcrumbs. I used a seasoned whole wheat breadcrumb that I had on-hand. I like the crust created by the breadcrumb, but I really don’t like my entire piece of fish breaded unless I’m deep frying it. Heat some butter or olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and get ready to sear your fish.

Carefully place the fish, crumbs down, into the hot pan and DO NOT MOVE it. Allow it to cook for a minute or two before gently lifting the edge to check for desired ‘brownness’. Carefully remove the fish and place it onto a prepared baking sheet crumb side up. Transfer it to the oven to allow it to finish cooking all the way through. How long this takes will depend on the thickness of the fish you have. Mine took about five minutes.

While the fish is finishing up, go back to the risotto. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is almost cooked through, add the corn. Allow it to cook for a few minutes. Add the blended corn and allow it to cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and any additional herbs you’re using. Cover until you’re ready to serve it.

This is the point where I found myself with a few extra minutes and wanting something more out of this meal. I decided to make a very quick Truffle Cream Sauce. I am a chronic anti-measurer in the kitchen, so this is more of a ‘method’ than an exact recipe; you might find yourself needing a little more liquid than I suggested. The addition of the sauce is COMPLETELY optional. It was not necessary at all, but truffles and corn are delicious together and it really did help to tie it all together.

Truffle Cream Sauce (Optional)

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon White Truffle Oil
Fresh Thyme

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it starts to become bubbly.

Whisk in the liquid, herbs, and truffle oil. Continue whisking over medium heat until it has reached the desired thickness. Done!!

This was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and worth every one of the 40 minutes I spent in the kitchen.

Weeknights are hard for so many of us. How many people do you know who think they don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal at home on a weeknight? Probably a lot. This is one reason I love fish! There are few things that cook as quickly as fish. Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish. Sadly, my husband really doesn’t care for it. I am always working to find ways to prepare fish that are versatile enough to be used at the SAME TIME on two different types of fish. If variety is the spice of life, why should anyone have to compromise?

I started with two 8-ounce pieces of fish (and one small one for the kids to share). I chose Organic Salmon for myself and Halibut for the rest of the family.

The first thing I did was chop up some garlic and grate some fresh Parmesan cheese. My end goal here was to combine these ingredients with mayonnaise. I happen to be very fond of a certain lemon-flavored mayonnaise so that is what I used here. You could use any kind of mayonnaise though… just add your own lemon juice. The sky is the limit here. You could add fresh herbs, bacon, pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes… anything.

After everything is combined, get your fish ready! It shouldn’t need to be rinsed off but if there are any stray scales on the flesh, go ahead and rinse those away and pat it dry with a paper towel. Dry fish is easier to spread the topping on.

I like all salmon, but I really find myself always going back to the Organic Salmon. It is farm-raised in ocean pens in very cold, clean water. The feed contains no animal byproducts and they are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. It is certified Organic by the E.U. (European Union) because the U.S.D.A. does not have a program for such labeling just yet. I just find that the flavor is good, it has a lot of fat, and it stays very moist during cooking. (While it is true that wild salmon have more of certain antioxidants than farmed salmon, farmed salmon actually have more Omega-3’s… so you can feel great about choosing either one!)

I like to put my fish in the baking dish or on the baking sheet before proceeding to the next step. I used a big glass baking dish and lightly sprayed it with Coconut Oil spray and placed the fish in it. Make sure you leave some breathing room around each piece of fish. I spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on each piece of fish. Into the oven it goes.

Next up… the question everyone asks. How long do you cook fish for? Try the 10-minute rule. Measure the fish at its thickest point and cook it for 10 minutes per inch. One thing you will either love or hate about me… I don’t use timers. I have to say I don’t measure or time many things in the kitchen. Measuring is for baking. Cooking is an art. Don’t be afraid. For fish, I can usually tell when it is done by touching it. Like a cake. If it springs back at you and is firm to the touch, you’re there. With practice, you will know when it’s ready. Err on the side of caution. You can always put it back in for a minute or two, but overcooked fish can be dry.

I cooked these at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes and turned on the broiler for a minute at the last second.