Who likes halibut? My husband always thought of it as a dry fish and therefore not particularly appetizing. Why? Because it had been served to him overcooked in the past. Halibut, like many other wild fish, is delectable when prepared correctly…dismal once overcooked. That’s the secret of how to prepare fish.
I think fish is just about the easiest thing ever because it doesn’t take long to cook and it’s so versatile. I decided to bake it because I had some leftover scalloped potatoes to reheat in a covered casserole. Then I decided I would put some asparagus in to roast on a cookie sheet tossed with some olive oil, garlic powder, thyme and salt. I love simple meals, don’t you?
Timing
At 350, the potatoes took about 20 minutes to reheat. Asparagus took about 15 minutes to get tender and get a touch of color. The halibut took about 12. Just keep an eye on things to see when they’re done. I really dislike overcooked asparagus and overcooked fish. I know the halibut is done once it is opaque and the layers of flesh just begin to separate.
The Final Touch
While everything was in the oven, I was free to look around for something fun to dress up the fish. I started sautéing some onions in a skillet with olive oil and then I tossed in some tri-colored bell peppers and half a cube of chipotle from my treasure chest of freezer flavor gems. I had a little chicken stock available, so I poured a touch of that in too. Let everything simmer until dinner was ready. Simple and delicious. You would never call this fish dry or boring! Don’t overcook and whip up a little sauce to accompany it. That’s how you can prepare fish everyone will love.
Learn how to make the scalloped potatoes by reading this previous post where I also served them with fish. Why? Because the leanness of the fish suggests to me that I can serve a rich side dish with it. I might prefer a leaner accompaniment to something heavier like a beef steak. What do you think?