We've been eating out in air-conditioned restaurants or eating things that don't require cooking for a while now, which has been nice, but with the long weekend I really had an itch to cook.
Since I've been away from the blog for a while, I wanted to come back with something spectacular and this was definitely it! The flavors were really interesting and not like anything I'd had before. PJ picked up fresh halibut from Citarella for us while I prepared the raita. Raita is an Indian yogurt condiment, usually with fresh herbs and raw vegetables. Here it is flavored with cucumber, fennel, and mint. I used Greek yogurt and it came out really nicely, but any yogurt or even sour cream will do.
Baked Halibut with Fennel and Cucumber Raita
Adapted from the Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
For the raita:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, or other plain yogurt
1/4 cup shredded kirby, persian cucumber, or cucumber (use a vegetable peeler or thinly slice)
1/4 cup shredded fennel bulb
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the fish:
The rest of the fennel bulb from the raita, thinly sliced
2 halibut fillets, about 3/4 pound total, rinsed and skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
To prepare the raita, mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made a day in advance.
To prepare the fish, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375.
Place the sliced fennel in a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet or baking dish. Lay the halibut fillets on top of the fennel and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter the lemon slices, thyme, and salt over the top. Cover with foil and bake until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 15-20 minutes. Serve with cucumber fennel raita.
Serves 2. Recipe may be doubled.
That looks gorgeous.
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