Grilled Halibut With Fennel-Orange Salsa
I love fennel in many forms: simmered slowly with saffron and tomatoes as the base for a lovely seafood stew; tossed with olive oil and roasted with haricots verts and potatoes; even raw, especially when paired with juicy navel oranges, as in this salsa.
Fennel-Orange Salsa is crisp, colorful and subtle. The citrus helps tame the fennel’s licorice flavor, and the fennel leaves make a nice substitute for the usual cilantro. Serve it with any grilled or broiled mild, white-fleshed fish, such as halibut, red snapper or orange roughy. When you’re not on a schedule, refrigerate the salsa a few hours to let the flavors meld.
A simple green salad dressed in a light vinaigrette and bread sticks or focaccia go nicely with the fish.
Peel oranges and cut away all pith using sharp knife. Section oranges by cutting on either side of pithy membranes separating segments. Halve segments lengthwise, then dice. Drain oranges, reserving juice.
Combine oranges, fennel, fennel leaves, onion, jalapeno, orange and lime juices and salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Season halibut with salt and white pepper. Place on well-oiled grill. Cover with pot lid to expedite cooking and help prevent fish from drying out. Grill over medium-high heat until fish is opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side (total cooking time should be about 10 minutes for every inch of thickness). Serve with fennel-orange salsa and lime wedges.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
