Here’s our newest video demonstrating a delicious and simple dish for you all to try at home.

Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Pesto Risotto – Vancouver Personal Chef Drew Cooks! from Drew Munro on Vimeo.

Recipe: Seared Halibut with Lemon Pesto Risotto (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

- 4 halibut filets
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp butter unsalted
- 1 bunch chives
- olive oil
- vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- juice and zest from 1 lemon
For garnish:(optional)

- Cherry tomatoes, and shallots, chopped

Heat the chicken stock in a sauce pan. In a large saute pan over med high heat, add in olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Add in the rice, a bit more olive oil and stir to evenly coat the grains. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes and begin ladelling in hot stock small amounts at a time, stirring after each addition. Continue this process for about 15 minutes or until rice is just about cooking through.

Remove from heat, add in the 2 tbsp of butter, pesto, and lemon juice/zest. Stir to combine and set aside.

For the chive oil, place the chives in a food processor or blender with 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Blend for about 5 minutes until the oil has turned a bright green colour, then strain and set the oil aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a hot saute pan, heat olive oil and add in 1 tsp of butter. Season halibut filets and saute 2 minutes per side, then transfer to the oven for an additional 4-5 minutes.

While halibut is cooking, saute the cherry tomatoes and shallots, season with salt and pepper.

To plate:

Watch the video!

Spring brings around the start of halibut season, and this simple and delicious preparation shows off the fantastic texture and delicate flavour of the fish. Local new potatoes and seasonal greens are perfect sides.

Halibut is a beast of a fish, and can weigh 250lbs or more. The world record Halibut ever caught weighed in at 459.6lbs, now THAT is a fish! In this preparation, the skin is left on the filets in order to crisp it up nicely, however if skin is not your cup of tea feel free to ask your fish monger to remove it for you when you buy your halibut. Let’s get to it!

Ingredients: (serves 4)

- 4 pieces halibut filets, 6-7 ounces each, skin on
- 1lb small new potatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
- 1/2-cup baby arugula
- ¼ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup pancetta (in a pinch regular bacon works) chilled and sliced into small, thin ½ strips
- juice from 1 lemon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large pan, boil some salted water and cook the potatoes until nearly fork tender. Drain and arrange on a baking sheet lined with foil. Coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. While potatoes are roasting, liberally season the halibut filets with salt and pepper. Remove excess moisture from the skin side with a paper toil, and using a butter knife, spread the 2 tbsp of butter over the surface of the skin of each filet.

Heat a large sauté pan over med-hi heat. Once pan is hot, place in the halibut, skin side down, and pan-sear for approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip the fish over gently and place in the oven along with the potatoes and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Heat another sauté pan over med-hi heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Throw in all the greens except the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss until wilted, then empty into a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped pancetta, and fry until crispy. Drain off the excess fat and add in the lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes and set aside.

To plate:

Place 5-6 of the potatoes in the center of the place, and top with the wilted greens. Place the halibut filet skin side down on top of the greens, and top with some of the lemon pancetta sauce. Garnish with the flat leaf parsley and serve immediately.