If you’re looking for a break from holiday feasting, fish is the perfect antidote. It doesn’t have to be boring or intimidating to prepare. Just choose the ingredients and cooking method wisely.
Baking fish is more forgiving than pan frying because you don’t need to worry about flipping tender fillets, or the skin sticking to the skillet. I like to bake a single halibut fillet to serve four, which is easy to check on as it bakes — halibut will flake in large pieces when it’s finished.
It’s also easy to embellish baked fish. Because halibut is mild in flavor, I like to bring in richness with olive oil and nuts and freshness with bright lemon and herby parsley. Olives, marinated in a flavorful oil-based dressing, complement the mild flavor of the fish and offer a pop of briny umami in each bite. I like to use whatever pitted olive mix is available in the antipasti bar at my grocery store; it’s fine if the mix also includes other ingredients like peppers or onions. I add the olives, a bit of their marinade, and thin lemon slices to the fish before baking so their flavors can have a chance to mingle.
Most halibut fillets you’ll find at the fish counter will be around 1 1/2 inches thick and will take around 20 minutes to bake. If you’ve got fish that’s significantly thinner, start checking at 15 minutes; if it’s thicker, plan for 25 minutes. This allows plenty of time to toast pine nuts, chop fresh parsley for finishing and make any side dishes (I like rice and salad).
Baked Halibut with Olives and Lemon
Note: For nutritional calculations, included salt is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
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