Chilled Poached Halibut with Apricot Salsa
The secret in the salsa are toasted brown mustard seeds that add a nice crunch. Usually you can find mustard seeds in your grocery store. Be careful when roasting the seeds as they burn easily. I thought that the texture of the halibut improved after it was chilled for a day.
Ingredients:
Makes 4-6 servings 2 tsp canola oil 2 tsp brown mustard seeds 1 ½ lb. apricots 4 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup diced red onions 1 cup chopped cilantro, chopped 1-½ jalapeńo pepper about 1 Tbs. coarse salt , divided 1 lemon, cut into thin slices 2 ¼ lb. of halibut filet cut into 4-6 pieces 
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Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the mustard seeds, cover and cook them over medium heat until they begin to pop. After a minute remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool down. Be careful I burned my first batch. Cut the jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and slice thinly. You can control the heat by adding less jalapeño. Cut the apricots into small slices ( about ½ inch ). Put the apricots in a large bowl and toss gently with lemon juice, onion, cilantro, and the mustard seeds with the oil. Season with 1 ½ tsp of salt and chill for ½ hour. Wipe skillet clean and fill half-full with water, add 1 tsp of salt and the lemon slices. Heat water over medium heat until gently simmering. Add the fish and cook, covered, for 5-8 minutes until opaque in the center (cut to check). Don’t overcook because the halibut will get tough. Move the fish with a spatula to a plate and chill for at least an hour. Season with salt and pepper and serve cold with a salad and the apricot salsa. My halibut tasted better the next day while the apricot salsa is better the first day. Guten Appetit! Recipe from Sunset Magazine adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com |