Don’t pay extra for halibut fillets; fish is expensive enough as it is. If you cook it properly the fish comes right off the bone, it’s super moist and delicious, you won’t miss the fancy cut.
Marinate the steaks for as long as you feel like – mine sat for about an hour. Brush the grill with olive oil and then, get it good and hot. Cook the fish for about 10 minutes on each side – it’s done when it’s just starting to fall apart. I brushed plenty of extra marinde on the fish every couple of minutes dumping lots on just before I turned it. Be generous with the oil on the grill or the fish will stick – mine did a little, but it was fine.
We ate this with swiss chard braised with olive oil and grilled orange slices. The crispy basil and bitter orange peel are a really nice combination of flavors. If, like me, you used basil that you grew in your garden, you might taste a tiny bit of extra smugness, enhanced by the deliciousness of a perfectly cooked piece of halibut eaten outdoors on a lovely summer evening.
For the marinade, mix together:
1/4c. orange juice
1/4c. white wine
1/4c. olive oil
3-4 tbsp. finely diced orange peel
3-4 tbsp. fresh minced basil
1/4 tsp salt
splash chili oil (optional)
hmm. hmm. hmm!
Well that just looks to die for. Alas, the basil I’ve been growing off the edge of my deck has not fared well this year, so my version might have a faint aftertaste of disappointment rather than smugness, but should be delicious nonetheless.