Lemony Baked Halibut

by Millie Bentley

Greetings. The best ways to cook fish are the simplest ways, but sometimes we want something different or a little more ‘fancy’. What about halibut? Folks up and down the coast have been catching this delicious deep sea delicacy. A good way to cook halibut is smothered with a mixture of sour cream, mayonnaise and herbs, but this recipe is good too and not too complicated. One can also use other fish such as cod or tilapia in place of halibut.

Baked Halibut with Lemon

1 lemon

4 six oz. halibut fillets, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (no skin)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, chopped

or 2 teaspoons dry dill weed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Finely grate skin of lemon to obtain the zest and set aside. Thinly slice half the lemon and arrange slices in the prepared baking dish. Save the other lemon half. Wash and pat fish dry and place in a single layer over the lemon slices. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until fish flakes easily. Meanwhile melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add Panko (Japanese bread crumbs sold in most grocery stores) and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove from heat and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, dill and lemon zest. Toss to coat. Remove fish from oven and place on a platter (discarding lemon slices). Squeeze juice from remaining lemon half over baked fish and top with bread crumb mixture. Delicious! Serves 4.

Until next week, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.