Grilled Herbed Halibut with a Cherry tomatoe Beurre Blanc Sauce

For the Halibut:
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
4 skinless halibut fillets

For the sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
splash of white wine vinegar
1 shallot finely minced
3 tbls chilled unsalted butter
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Have you ever wanted to impress someone with your cooking? A boss, a friend or a group. One way to do it is to serve an elegant, great tasting meal that you don't have to spend too much time in the kitchen fussing with. So you can entertain and come out looking like you rocked an amazing meal with very little effort.

This halibut dinner is so beautiful. The bright green herbs on a perfect backdrop of the white fish. Served with a classic Beurre Blanc and some tart cherry tomatoes incorporated into the sauce. The tomatoes cooked just ever so slightly until they are just ready to burst. That way they burst in your mouth not in the sauce. This is classic bistro cooking.

Preparation of the sauce:

In a medium skillet add a tablespoon of butter and wilt the shallots. Add the white wine and vinegar and reduce. Slowly whisk in the chilled butter to thicken the sauce. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook on low until just ready to burst about 5 minutes.


Preparation of the halibut:

In a medium bowl,toss the parsley, tarragon and lemon zest. Pat the herbs on both sides of the halibut fillets and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drizzle the halibut with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fillets over high heat until nicely charred about 3 minutes a side. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.

I love pacific halibut and when I see it fresh at the market I tend to buy it. It can be a little pricey but I love the sweetness and the texture. But you could substitute any mild white fish like cod or flounder with good success. You can go to http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx to find a list of sustainable fish by region. It lists fish that are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in an environmentally friendly way. My husband would most often bring home salmon after fishing in our bay but occasionally he would catch halibut. How excited was I to get it so fresh and for free no less. I hope you enjoy this dish. The results convey a much more complex dish in flavor and appearance then the minimal prep or ingredients suggest. I served it with some small Parmesan potato coins and a mache salad.

enjoy!