Transform your Alaskan Halibut into a culinary masterpiece by encrusting it with crushed peppercorns, searing it to perfection in a skillet, then finishing it in the oven with cherry tomatoes and basil for a dish bursting with flavor. You can even use Alaskan Salmon as well.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of mixed white and black peppercorns
- coarse kosher salt
- 1 tbsp pure olive oil
- 2 – 8oz Alaskan Halibut portions, cut in half
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup lightly packed whole fresh basil leaves
- orange or lemon wedges, for accompaniment
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Crush the peppercorns using the bottom of a heavy skillet on a clean work surface or pulse in a spice grinder until just cracked, and set aside.
- Sift to remove the finest particles of pepper. (They can make the fish far too hot.)
- Season both sides of the Halibut with coarse kosher salt.
- Rub one side on the Halibut with the pepper.
- Heat the tablespoon of oil in a 12 inch heavy duty ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until glistening.
- Time to sear, add the fish, pepper side down, and cook about 3-4 minutes, without moving, until a crust has formed.
- Using a spatula, turn the fish and scatter the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves over the fish.
- Transfer to the oven and cook until the fish is firm, about an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven to a cooling rack to cool slightly and let the fish set.
- Serve immediately with orange or lemon wedges on the side.
