Steffen's Dinners - Recipes and Photos

Printer-friendly versionPDF version

The idea to top halibut fillets with a mixture of chopped Kalamata olives, chopped arugula leaves, garlic, freshly ground black pepper and cottage cheese turned out to be a perfect incarnation of this site's theme. The dish is simple and fast to prepare, it is elegant, even beautiful and the strong and tangy flavor of the topping blends wonderfully with the mild flavor of the halibut.

The olives should be pickled or canned so that they add tang to the topping. I recommend to use Kalamata or other similarly flavorful olives. In my experience the flavor of the cheap canned California olives doesn't survive cooking.

Ingredients

• 4 halibut fillets, ca. 5 oz / 150g each
• ½ cup / 125g cottage cheese
• 3 oz / 100g pickled/canned Kalamata olives (pitted)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 oz / 30g (about a handful) arugula
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup / 125 ml dry white wine
• salt to taste
• 4 slices of lemon and a few arugula leaves as garnish

Preparation

1. Coarsely chop the olives and the arugula leaves.
2. Combine cottage cheese, chopped olives, arugula leaves, chopped garlic and black pepper. Mix well. Adjust seasoning with salt. The amount of salt needed depends on how salty the olives are.
3. Cover the fish fillets with a layer of the olive and arugula spread.
4. Set heavy ovenproof pan over low-medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped onions. Cook until the onions are soft, do not brown.
5. Add white wine and a bit of salt. Bring to a boil.
6. Place fish fillets in the pan. Place under broiler and broil for 7-10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove fillets from pan. Sprinkle with a bit of the cooking liquid.
8. Garnish with lemon slices and arugula leaves

Goes well with pan-fried potatoes

Preparation time ca. 30-45 minutes

Yields 4 servings