Grilled Halibut with a Lemon Herb Dressing

Upon a recent fishing trip to Seldovia, Alaska, my friend and colleague, Aaron was so grateful to bring back some of his fresh catch. He walked into the office one afternoon with a fairly large cooler, and said you guys have at it, the fish in the freezer, that was. Ryan and I quickly said O.K., and as we were getting ready to head out for the day, decided to split up the halibut and salmon. Just the look alone, you could tell that this was fresh catch.

As I drove home, I began to think of the many ways I could cook the fish. I was reserving the salmon for an upcoming birthday party, and figured I would smoke that. The halibut however, was something that was exciting me. The filet would be perfect for the grill, so upon arriving at home, I told my wife we were having fish. Excitement filled the room, as we have not had fish for some time now. It has been a bit too hot to make the standard fish fry, so this was a perfect opportunity for grilling. The temperature was perfect outside that night, one that was calling me to grill. I did not want just a grilled halibut served with a lemon wedge, but I did want the flavor of lemon, and I wanted to mix it up a bit.  I came up with the idea of a lemon sauce, much like I would make it for my Chinese lemon chicken, but with some fresh parsley from the garden and some dry herbs.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 large halibut fillets
• Juice of one large lemon
• 1 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• pinch of pepper
• 1/2 tbsp of oil

Begin by getting a small sauce pan ready. Add the lemon juice and cornstarch and mix until the cornstarch has dissolved. Once it has dissolved, turn on the heat to medium, and bring it to a slight boil, reducing the heat at that time, and continuing to stir. Reduce the heat to low, add in your herbs and salt and pepper, mixing well. Stir on occasion while you get your halibut ready for grilling.

Heat your grill to medium, and brush the grates with the oil. You can do this with some tongs and paper towel if you desire. This will not only lube your grill, but it will clean it a bit before you place your fish on the grates for cooking.

Lay the fillets on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes per side, or until nice and flaky. Remove from the grill and put on a serving plate. Generously spoon over the lemon herb sauce, and dig in. The velvety sauce is a great addition to the fish, as you get great flavors from the lemon, and the herbs.

So my friend, Aaron, continue to do what you do, and bring back those nice fillets of fish. Thanks to you, my wife and I had a really great fish dinner.