Halibut Topped with Olives, Arugula and Cottage Cheese

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 using 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, about 5 oz / 150 g each
• ½ cup / 125 g cottage cheese
• 3 oz / 100 g pickled/canned Kalamata olives (pitted)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 oz / 30 g (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 a heavy ovenproof pan over low-medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft, without browning.
5. Add white wine and a bit of salt. Bring to a boil.
6. Place fish fillets in the pan. Place under the broiler and broil for 7-10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove fillets from pan. Drizzle with a bit of the cooking liquid.
8. Garnish with lemon slices and arugula leaves.

Goes well with pan-fried potatoes.

Preparation time about 30-45 minutes

Yields 4 servings