Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound halibut
- Salt
- 2 T. grapeseed or canola oil
- 1 cup chopped fresh chanterelles or other mushrooms
- 1 T. grated ginger
- 2 T. finely chopped shallot
- Zest and juice of a lemon
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 T. butter
Preparation:
Salt the halibut lightly and set it aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to "warm." You will want to put the halibut in the oven while you make the sauce.
Get a large saute pan good and hot and pour in the grapeseed or canola oil -- both are neutral-tasting and have a high smoke point. Get the oil hot over medium-high heat, about a minute or two.
Pat the fish dry, then lay into the pan apart from each other. Do not crowd or you will not get a good sear. If you are using fillets with skin, sear the meat side first, not the skin side.
If the halibut is more than an inch thick, turn the heat to medium. Either way, cook for 2-5 minutes -- the longer the cook time, the thicker the fillet -- and flip only once.
Cook only 2-3 minutes on the skin side, then remove to a pan in the warm oven. Put the halibut skin side up and lightly salt the skin.
Make the sauce. Add the chopped shallot and mushrooms and toss to coat with the remaining oil, adding a tablespoon of butter. Tossing or stirring often, let this cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the ginger and the lemon zest and toss to combine. Add the white wine immediately, and turn up the heat to high. Scrape up any browned bits on the pan with a wooden spoon. Let this boil furiously until the wine is nearly gone.
Turn off the heat and add the remaining butter and lemon juice. Swirl to combine.
Serve the sauce under the halibut, skin side up.