As you all know, I like to make and eat a lot of seafood. I make salmon all the time. My wife and I love salmon and you can generally find it reasonably priced at the store. Halibut is a real treat. So I wanted to create a recipe that did not overpower the fish. Creating a topping for the fish added flavor and some texture. So I created a Breadcrumb Topped Halibut flavored with lemon zest and parsley.
Even though this is a fairly simple recipe, I still developed flavor by layering in spices and the topping. I think “LAYERS OF FLAVOR” is the best cooking tip to know. When one learns to add flavors throughout a dish, the result is so good. I believe this one tip can help anyone be a better cook and impress your friends and guests. The harder part of this concept is learning what spices and flavors go together. In this dish, I added spice to the fish by mixing it with oil. This kept the halibut moist and added a nice flavor. Next, I mixed parsley, garlic and lemon zest with the breadcrumbs. Then, I put this breadcrumb layer over the spice and oil layer and on top of the fish.
One other trick to cooking fish is that using your oven creates really even cooking. I often start my fish off in a cast iron skillet to get a good char on it but the majority of the cooking is in the oven. This summer, I have reversed the order by starting the cooking in the oven and doing the last two minutes of cooking on outside grill. Remember that cooking approach, your fish will be perfect every time and you will definitely still pick up that grill flavor.
The Halibut fillets and 1st layer of spices.
Creating the breadcrumb topping.
The final Breadcrumb Topped Halibut plated.
The Recipe
Breadcrumb Topped Halibut
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs, panko*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 pounds Halibut fillets, cut the larger side into equal pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place fillets on a oiled or non-stick sprayed baking pan; sprinkle evenly with Old Bay Seasoning. Spoon breadcrumb mixture evenly onto fillets, pressing down gently.
- Drizzle evenly with the melted butter.
- Bake at 400° for 15 – 17 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden.
- Serve and enjoy!
Responses
comments – I answer every one.
I love halibut and everything about this recipe; stunning photos too!
Good to hear from you Dan. Thanks for the kind words.
Oh my this looks delish! I like white, non-fishy tasting fish. And halibut is just one of those fish that you can hardly go wrong with- Love the bread crumbs addition. YUM
Thank you. Halibut is interesting because it holds together well yet is still pretty flaky.
This is probably my favourite dish of all the ones I have seen on your site Peter… Wonderfully simple, great flavours and wonderful produce, I really struggle to find great fish out here in landlocked Hungary and this makes me really envious. A true restaurant dish if ever I saw one 😀
You are very kind to say what you have said. You know I love a number of your recipes. You and I seem to have similar palates.