Seared Halibut with Grapefruit Salad

Copyright 2008 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
1 halibut filet (about 6 oz.)
1 Ruby grapefruit
2 cups mixed greens
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

For dressing:
1 T grapefruit juice
1 T Dijon mustard
3 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To start, cut your grapefruit into sections, removing the skin and pith then set aside. Squeeze remaining grapefruit flesh to get the juice and make the dressing by combining all the ingredients.

Season your halibut filet with salt and pepper. Warm olive oil in an oven-safe sauté pan over high heat and place the halibut skin side up to sear the top. Cook untouched for about 2-3 minutes, then flip it over. Drizzle a bit of your grapefruit dressing over the fish and place the fish in the oven. Cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet.

In a small bowl, toss the mixed greens with the grapefruit sections in your grapefruit dressing. When fish is done, add your salad to your plate with the fish. Serve with roasted fingerling potatoes.

Makes one serving. Pair with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

TIP: When searing your fish, it’s important to have a high heat so that the fish doesn’t stick to the pan. That initial shock of heat will create a nice sear to easily separate from the pan with a spatula. While you shouldn’t touch the fish so that you get a nice brown color, you also shouldn’t forget about the fish and let it cook any longer than needed or else it’ll be blackened. After a few tries you’ll know how long your stovetop takes to sear a fish on high heat perfectly brown.

EMULSIFY IT: When making the dressing, always add the olive oil last. The best way to make sure the ingredients mix nicely and “emulsify” (that’s a fancy word huh?), slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream from the bottle to the bowl while constantly whisking the ingredients to mix as you add.