Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut with
a Warm Kale
Couscous Salad
Recipe courtesy of
Chef Laura Cole
Serves 6
Halibut
6 fresh wild Alaskan halibut (4 oz portions)
6 to 8 Tbs salted butter
Maldon sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Couscous
4 ears fresh sweet corn
1/2 lb dry cured bacon
1/2 lb fresh kale
1 healthy sized leek
4 Tbs orange olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous
2 cubes chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 Tbs fresh orange zest
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs fine chopped fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil corn until tender, then “shock” corn by placing in ice water; save the boiled corn water. Once cooled, cut the kernels from the cob, breaking up as needed; set aside. Cook bacon until crisp, drain excess fat, chop bacon, and set aside. Trim and chop kale. Trim leek, cut lengthwise, and chop into ¼ inch disc halves. Rinse leeks well, drain, and set aside
In a medium saucepot, heat orange oil over medium heat. Add couscous and cook, stirring until aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cups reserved corn water, bouillon cubes and orange zest. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and continue to cook over low heat until all liquid has been absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat two large skillets/sauté pans. In first pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the halibut and gently set into pan, being careful not to splash up the melted butter. Cook until pan side is good and browned, basting with butter from the pan the whole time. Once the bottom side is browned, do not flip, just transfer pan to heated oven to finish cooking.
Cooking time will all depend on the thickness of your fish and may not require oven time at all if you have thinner pieces. Test halibut by gently pressing the tip of a knife into the center of the fish, pull back slightly, fish should yield at knifepoint and not be translucent.
In second skillet/sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add leeks and cook, stirring every so often, cook until tender and aromatic. Add corn, kale, rosemary and bacon. Then add the orange couscous. Stir to mix well.
Spoon couscous salad onto plates and top with halibut serving browned crusted side up.
