Halibut with Parsley-Lemon Sauce

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Rather than pairing red wine with red meat, Marcia Kiesel opts for perfectly cooked halibut steaks. Any other meaty but delicately flavored fish, like wild striped bass or snapper, would also work (stay away from oily fish like bluefish when serving red wines—they tend to make the wine's tannins taste metallic). And the bright, lemony parsley sauce balances the earthy quality of a Graves. More Quick Fish Recipes

Halibut with Parsley-Lemon Sauce
Photo: © Quentin Bacon
Total Time:
40 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 4 cups loosely packed parsley

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • Four 1/2-inch-thick halibut steaks (1 1/2 pounds)

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the water and simmer until reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 6 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

  2. Stir the parsley into the saucepan. Transfer the sauce to a blender and coarsely puree. Return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice, season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm.

  3. In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil until shimmering. Season the halibut with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned and just cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the halibut to plates. Serve with the parsley sauce.

Suggested Pairing

The red wines of Bordeaux's Graves region are lovely with meaty fish like halibut.

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