Baked Halibut with mixed herbs

Halibut is quite a versatile and relatively inexpensive fish. It has a non-oily, but firm and mild-flavoured flesh. It is capable of absorbing other flavours well, making it great for experimenting with in the kitchen! And it can be substituted for other kinds of fish and sometimes chicken in many recipes. If you don’t like fishy tasting seafood but want to include fish in your diet, halibut is a good choice.

My first experience with halibut was when I was a young girl. Of course, my mum made sure that my piece didn’t contain any bones. She mixed together a simple butter sauce to drizzle over the tender fish, and I loved it! She and I like to experiment together with various dressings, and I owe part of the credit for this recipe to her. We have a lot of fun, and I appreciate that she instilled in me the importance of fish in a healthy balanced diet.

Of course, some of my favourite creamy toppings are not necessarily low-calorie…. But overall, fish has a lot of health benefits.

This Baked Halibut with mixed herbs is just lovely. As it’s cooked in lemon juice, garlic, parsley, chives and thyme, all those different flavours soak into the fish, making a really tasty meal. But be careful not to overcook the halibut, or it will dry out because of its low oil content.

For a spicier dinner, try this yellow thai fish curry.

Ingredients

650g halibut steak or fillet, cut into 8 pieces
60ml chicken or vegetable stock
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 230°C.
Crush the garlic using the back of a wide-bladed knife or in a pestle and mortar.
In a bowl, mix the garlic, herbs and a couple of pinches of salt together until well-blended, then add the lemon juice and stock.
Place the fish in a baking dish, pour over the herb mixture and cover with foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the meat is white, opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Serve immediately, pouring the juices from the baking dish over the fish and adding pepper to taste.
Can be served with vegetables, rice or potatoes.