Photo: Halibut with Pepitas, Capers, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil Recipe
Notes
This is a restaurant-style dish that boasts a lot of flavor thanks to a tomato-basil sauce with bursts of capers and the crunch of toasted pepitas.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 4 6-ounce halibut fillets
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (quartered if they're big)
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil, plus a handful of small leaves for garnish
In a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas lightly. Don't allow them to brown. As soon as you begin to smell them, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a large plate. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sprinkle the halibut on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer but is not smoking. Place the fillets skin side up in the hot oil and sear until the fish begins to turn color, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fillets and add the lemon juice, wine, and butter to the pan. As soon as the butter melts and becomes foamy, add the capers and tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes release some juices, about 1 minute.
Place the pan in the oven until the fish is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Baste the fish with some of the juices and transfer to serving plates. Add the cup torn basil, pepitas, and the remaining teaspoon of salt to the pan juices and stir until the basil is slightly wilted. Spoon the mixture over the fish, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve.
SERVES: 4; Calories: 303; Total Fat 17 grams; Saturated Fat: 5.5 grams; Protein: 33 grams; Total carbohydrates: 2 grams; Sugar: 1 grams Fiber: 1 grams; Cholesterol: 99 milligrams; Sodium: 1,174 milligrams
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By Endless Curiosity
Bellevue, WA
on December 08, 2011
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I did not enjoy this at all, the smell and taste of butter was overwhelming. Halibut is very bland to begin with... and this recipe did not change that fact at all. The cherry tomatoes were the best part of it unfortunately.
By MorganaLeFey
Somerset, England
on April 23, 2011
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This is an incredibly fragrant dish, and the halibut turns out juicy and melt-in-mouth. May not need to be said, but the tomatoes must be very red and ripe to stand up to the acidity of the capers, lemon, and wine. Within 30 minutes, I had a most healthy and yummy dinner on the plate. It looks spectacular, too.
By brooklynisababe...
Philadelphia, 78
on August 27, 2010
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I am a fan of food. I love Cat, Gordon Ramsay and all the reality cooking shows of the world. Recently, on MasterChef, Cat introduced a similar dish but better. I was so hungry for this dish that I challenged myself to make it at home. I got the filet Halibut, capers soaked in vinegar, cherry tomatoes, shallot, bag of frozen sweet kernels of corn, bag of baby spinach, butter, evoo, heavy cream, a lime, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and old bay season. As seen on MasterChef by Cat (but not exactly I prepped my food, started by adding corn to saucepan w/butter, evoo, garlic, salt&pep then let it simmer, I used some of the corn for the cream sauce: I didnt have a blender to puree the corn so I used the heavy end of a beer glass and smashed the hell out of the corn then added the heavy cream to it, w/fire on low, I whisked the cream adding lime juice, tbs butter and evoo. Once the cream was light, frothy, pastel creme yellow, tasted sweet of corn with a hint of tart, I strained the cream, separating the corn. To keep the cream hot and not curdeling, I place the bowl on top of a slow boiling pt of water while I pan seard the halibut. Then I mixed the capers, little evoo, with some corn, cherry tomatoe halves, raw baby spinach leaves and sliced shallots. Plated the sauce first, lay the halibut in the sauce and decoratively laid the garnish on top (capers, spinach, corn, etc. It was a delish version of my Cat Cora inspired dish. My Halibut was perfect following Chef Ramsays instructions.
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