Halibut with a Red Pepper Sauce and Roasted Vegetables

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4/5 ppl

- 4-5, 5oz pieces of halibut

- 3 red bell peppers

- ½ cup pine nuts 

- 3 tbsp  golden raisins - roughly chopped

- 2 tbsp currants - roughly chopped

- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley 

- 2 limes

- 1 lemon

- 2 cloves garlic 

- ½ yellow onion- sliced into ¼ inch thick disk 

- ⅓ cup coconut milk 

- 1-2 stalks of asparagus

- 1-2 bundles of broccolini 

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper

Red Pepper sauce: you can make this ahead/ I recommend making this first 

Step 1: In a sheet pan, add red bell peppers, 2 garlic cloves, and onions (toss onions in olive oil and salt).  Broil the red bell peppers, onion, and garlic. The onions and garlic will be done before the red bell peppers. Remove onions once lightly charred, golden, and garlic once soft. Cook red bell peppers until COMPLETELY charred black all around. You will think you have burned the pepper, but this allows you to remove the skin. 

Step 2: Once peppers are entirely charred, put them in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Once peppers have cooled, peel off the charred outer skin, and remove the seeds and stem. 

Step 3: In a blender, add the peppers, onions, squeeze out insides of garlic, ¼ cup pine nuts, juice ½ lemon, and salt. Blend until smooth. Then add in ¼ cup coconut milk, 3 tbsp olive oil, and a few cracks of pepper. Taste if you need to add more salt or lemon. 

Step 4: Set sauce aside and serve with fish. 

Vegetables: preheat oven to 425F

Step 1: Clean and cut off stems of asparagus and broccolini. Toss asparagus and broccolini in olive oil, salt, and pepper in two separate bowls.

Step 2: Place asparagus and broccolini on two sheet pans. (try to keep vegetables separate. If you mix the two, the broccolini will be ready a little before asparagus)

Step 3: Roast vegetables for 20 minutes until lightly charred. 

Halibut: start while vegetables are cooking 

Pine Nut and Raisin Topping:

Step 1: Toast 1⁄4 cup pine nuts in a pan on medium/low heat for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned (no oil needed). Once pine nuts are toasted, set aside. 

Step 2: Add roughly chopped golden raisins and currants in a pan. Pour in ⅓ cup water and juice of 1 lime. Cook on medium heat until it is pretty much all evaporated. 

Step 3: Add the currants and raisins with the pine nuts. Then add parsley, 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, and salt. Mix together. Add a small squeeze of lime and mix. 

Halibut 

Step 1: Heat a nonstick skillet on medium/high heat. While the pan is heating, light coat halibut in salt and pepper. 

Step 2: Once the pan is hot, drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil (should shimmer) and then place the halibut skin side down. Let sit for 4-6 minutes UNDISTURBED. Then flip and cook on the other side for 3-6 minutes. If you have a thick piece of halibut, cook on the sides for 2 minutes each. 

Step 3: Halibut is done with it, and it still looks silky in the middle but not raw. Top halibut with the pine nut and raisins.