Jodi Abel took her first ever cooking class in an intimate home kitchen in Umbria; a gift from her husband for her 50th birthday. It lasted two days and she never wanted it to end. Sipping wine later in Rome she had an epiphany; she could give people the same experience in her home in La Jolla. She studied California cuisine, cooking endlessly; with her family her toughest critics. Her first test class was for 4 good friends, all foodies and great home cooks. End result -Lajollacooks4u has been offering classes with 5 star tripadvisor ratings since 2008 and published a cookbook in 2015.
This is the first recipe I tried from the book, and it was delicious. Her four key ingredients throughout seem to be olive oil,garlic, citrus juice and sea salt. I always worry about halibut being dry,and this was wonderfully moist. (Although I cooked mine for half the time she recommends, as they were less than an inch thick). She offers two versions; a pan saute or oven bake. I chose the latter so I could prep it ahead and relax with a glass of wine, which would be my fifth key ingredient.
You can use other varieties of fish, or even chicken with this recipe. Great with couscous and a green vegetable.
Herb crust
4 fresh halibut fillets (or boneless chicken breasts)
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh garlic, minced
4 Tbs. lemon pepper seasoning
4 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. coarse or smoked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Caper Vinaigrette
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. small capers, drained and chopped
2 Tbs. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Rinse and pat dry halibut. Using a pastry brush, brush olive oil all over fish, and smear fresh garlic on both sides. In a small bowl, combine lemon pepper and rosemary. Add salt if needed (many lemon pepper mixes have plenty of salt already).
Completely coat herb rub on both sides of fish, firmly patting the herbs so they form a nice crust. If you have leftover rub, place in a resealable bag and save for another time.
Heat a medium size saute pan, and add 2-3 Tbs. olive oil. When oil is completely heated, add fish and press down on it with a spatula. Sear fish for 3-4 minutes per side until fish has a lovely crust.
You can also bake the fish. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (Unless thick fillets, I would check at 9 to 10 minutes!)
Plate and generously pour vinaigrette over halibut and serve.
Caper Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and mustard. Slowly add the olive oil. Add chopped capers and parsley, and whisk until blended.
This vinaigrette is also a wonderful marinade all on its own. Simply take fillets, place in a resealable plastic bag with vinaigrette, and let marinate for a few hours. Grill or pan sear. Serves 4
Note: I made this the second time with swordfish, and again it was done in half the recommended 20 minutes so be careful. My one reservation about this recipe is using such strong flavors (rosemary, capers, garlic and Dijon) with expensive mild flavored fish fillets. Although it is delicious. Will try with chicken breasts.
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