You can use any sturdy white fish for this recipe that takes well to the grill -- talk to your fishmonger, as many thin, white fish will crumble completely on the grill. If you can’t find lemon thyme, you can use regular, but you might want to reduce the amount, as regular thyme tends to be stronger.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
zest of half a lemon
1 garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press
2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves (you can use regular)
1 pound halibut, cut into two filets
1/2 cup olive tapenade (recipe follows)
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and thyme in a Ziplock bag. Place the fish filets in the bag and swish around until covered in the marinade. Seal the bag and place in the fridge for 1 hour. (Do not marinate any longer or the fish will begin to cook in the lemon juice and become a ceviche.)
Preheat the grill (indoor or outdoor) and brush it with olive oil. Remove the fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. When the grill is hot, place the fish flesh-side down. Cook until the fish is opaque halfway up the side, about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. Carefully flip the fish and cook skin-side down until cooked through, about 4 more minutes.
Remove the fish and top with the fennel and green olive tapenade. Serve immediately alongside grilled veggies or Mediterranean Hash.
Fennel & Green Olive Tapenade
Makes 1 cup
If you don’t have a food processor, simply finely chop the veggies by hand. If you can’t find lemon thyme, you can use regular, but you might want to reduce the amount. Regular thyme tends to be stronger.
Ingredients
1 small fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed, roughly chopped
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme (regular thyme works too, see note)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green olives (kalamata or picholine)
1/2 lime, juiced
In a small food processor, pulse the fennel and shallot until finely chopped. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a small non-stick skillet and place it over medium heat. Saute the shallot and fennel until tender but not mushy, about 5-8 minutes. Add the lemon thyme, red pepper flakes and salt, and saute for another minute, until fragrant. Meanwhile, pulse the olives until finely chopped. Add to the olives to the pan along with the additional olive oil and lime juice. Stir until incorporated, then remove from the heat. The tapenade can keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Serve it on top of grilled fish, or as a spread for crackers or baguette.
In The Small Kitchen is a quirky cross between a food memoir and a beautiful cookbook with delicious recipes and colorful pictures. What’s within its pages (all 300 of them!) chronicles our sophomore year in the “real world,” featuring the recipes and tales behind themed cocktail parties, at-home diner dates, lonely lunches, and all manner of kitchen disasters. There are over a hundred perfectly tested recipes, including fifty new recipes that have never been featured online, plus a foreword by Ina Garten, author of The Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and television series, and one of our cooking mentors.
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