Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: The Food of Genoa

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (11)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(11)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 45 min

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Ingredients

Broccoli Rabe Pesto:

8 ounces broccoli rabe (about 1/2 a bunch)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Olive Oil Poached Halibut:

4 cups olive oil
2 cups vegetable oil
4 (6-ounce) pieces halibut
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Broccoli Rabe Pesto:

Directions

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked broccoli rabe to an ice bath and let cool, about 3 minutes. Shake off the excess water and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, walnuts, honey, salt, and pepper process until smooth. With the machine running gradually pour in the extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Cover and set aside.

For the Halibut:

In a medium, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil to 200 degrees F. Reduce the heat to low to sustain the 200 degree F temperature. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Gently place the fish in the oil making sure it is submerged beneath the surface. Poach the fish until just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.

To Serve:

Place about 1/2 cup of Broccoli Rabe Pesto on a serving plate and gently smooth out to make a bed for the fish. Using a slotted fish spatula gently transfer the cooked fish from the poaching oil to the serving plate, placing the fish on top of the bed of pesto. Serve immediately.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
jill redwood city, CA 04-21-2009
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really good!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I added a sliced lemon and some fresh basil to the poaching oil, based on a salmon recipe I saw. Really great fish!
recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
Debra North Andover, MA 04-15-2009
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Pesto is wonderful, pass on the poaching
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I made this recipe while my in laws where visiting. I figured it was a quick and easy meal to make that presented very nice.... Well I agree with one of the viewers, the pesto is good but needs a kick. I added a large squeeze of lemon juice to it and also about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. I also used 1/2 a cup of walnuts to cut down on the amount of fat. It was delicious and I will be making this often. As for the fish: Well I am on a diet so I decided to bake mine. I sprayed a piece of foil with Pam (olive oil flavored), then salt and peppered the fish, sprayed it with Pam and then placed to sprigs of Thyme on it and wrapped the fish up in the foil. I cooked it for 15 mins at 300 degrees. Then I poached the rest as described in the recipe. It took longer then fifteen minutes to poach and I had the heat at about 210. Well this fish was good but it was a bit heavy and mine was tasting and moist. Everyone agreed they liked mine better. The poaching method was not worth it to me and now what do I do with all this oil?? Read more
recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
Angela Boca Raton, FL 10-27-2008
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Delicious and very versatile!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This pesto recipe is delicious and extremely versatile. A week after I made it for the Halibut, I decided to make it for... filet mignon. Again it was delicious. Another time, I made the pesto as an appetizer with crostini for a cocktail hour with friends. They were amazed at how delicious it was. I presented it in a bowl accompanied by shaved parmesan pieces and crostini toasts. My friends were able to spread there own crostini and top them with Parmesan. In all three applications, I used one clove of garlic- I found 2 cloves a little overpowering. On several occassions when I was short on time, I used Verdurabrand Sauteed Broccoli Rabe it was a great substitute. I prepared the Rabe according to the package suggestions. I then let it cool. I removed the excess liquid and added the Rabe to the food processor. It took less than eight minutes total to prepare the pesto. Also, if you ever have any pesto leftover you could always mix it with whole wheat Rotini, Penne, or fettuccine. YUM!Read more
recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
sheilah laguna hills, CA 10-17-2008
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absolutely fabulous
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I love basil pesto so I was afraid I might not like this one as much. WOW, it is the very best pesto;delicate and yummy. ... This is a great meal for entertaining since you don't need to spend much time in the kitchen. I used my rice cooker to cook some rice, had the pesto at room temp and was away from my guests only a few minutes to complete the meal. The fish was so moist and flaky.Read more
recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
Connie Rosewood, CA 03-17-2008
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Ummm, halibut
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was one of the best dishes that I've ever tasted. Will definitely make again and soon!
recipe Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
Mariann New York, NY 08-02-2007
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A Little Bit of Both
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Although poaching the halibut was a wonderful way to cook it, the pesto totally overpowered the delicate fish. The pesto is... extremely thick and the amount to serve is too much. A little dab is all you need so you can actually taste the fish and not just the pesto.Read more