Halibut Steaks with Arugula Pesto
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Howarth, I had this dish when he visited Palm Springs; it was amazing.
Courtesy of Chef Andrew Howarth, I had this dish when he visited Palm Springs; it was amazing.
- Carbohydrate 2.06169375 g
- Cholesterol 131.2475 mg
- Fat 32.254684375 g
- Fiber 0.439437503069639 g
- Protein 86.6324625 g
- Saturated Fat 4.2109196875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (441g)
- Sodium 234.5040625 mg
- Sugar 1.62225624693036 g
- Trans Fat 3.3606428125 g
- Calories 663 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and pur?e into a paste.
- Spread the mixture thinly on top of the halibut steaks and cook in the oven or in the barbecue. Spray the barbecue grills with oil, place the halibut, pesto side up and barbecue with the lid down.
- Don?t turn the fish over.
- Serve with a simple salad with walnut vinaigrette
Applying the pesto topping before cooking requires precise heat management because the garlic and parmesan embedded in the greens can easily burn if exposed to direct flames. Toast the pine nuts until they reach a golden brown hue and smell aromatic, stopping before they turn dark, to prevent bitterness from transferring into the paste. When grilling, keep the lid down and do not flip the fish, relying on indirect heat circulating inside the covered chamber to cook the thick steaks through without sticking to the grates. Halibut contains dense, lean protein that dries out rapidly past an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit, so monitor the opaque center closely during the final minutes of baking or barbecuing. Freezing assembled raw fish topped with pesto is not recommended because the high water content in fresh arugula ruins the texture upon thawing, turning the vibrant green paste watery and dull. Instead, process the nut and herb mixture up to two days ahead and store it covered in a refrigerator with a thin film of olive oil poured directly over the surface to prevent oxidation.
