Delicious and flavorful halibut fillet - pan-fried in plenty of butter! If you're afraid of butter, find another recipe :-) This delightful fish is served with Jerusalem artichoke puree, kale, and nuts!
Recipe for pan-fried halibut fillet
Over the weekend, my wife and I took a trip to the market at Ingerslevs Boulevard. Naturally, we also visited my fishmonger.
He has always been good at recommending exciting things that I just have to try, and this time it was halibut fillets, which he said would be buttery in texture and super delicious.
And let me put it quite simply: They were!
I generally love eating seasonal ingredients, and for me, it just makes so much sense—especially if the ingredients are also local. It’s better for the climate, my wallet, and the flavors are just better.
In November, both Jerusalem artichokes, kale, and autumn apples are in season, so for this dish, I chose to serve the buttery-soft halibut on a bed of creamy and mild Jerusalem artichoke purée with some chewy kale leaves, butter-roasted hazelnuts, and small fresh apple cubes on top.
And the dish is definitely not lacking in butter 🙂
This dish can be served as a main course for two people, or as an appetizer for four.
Pan-fried Halibut Fillet Recipe
Servings: persons
Pan-fried Halibut Fillet
Delicious and flavorful halibut fillet - pan-fried in plenty of butter! If you're afraid of butter, find another recipe 🙂 This delightful fish is served with Jerusalem artichoke puree, kale, and nuts!
Ingredients
Roasted hazelnuts
- 10 gram Butter
- Hazelnuts
Fried halibut fillet
- 400 gram Halibut Fillet
- Salt
- Butter or ghee for frying
Artichoke Puree
- 700 gram Jerusalem Artichokes
- 20 gram Butter
- 100 gram Cream
- Salt and Pepper
Kale
- 100 gram Kale Preferably whole leaves. It depends a little on their size how much you should use. Ideally 2 leaves per person
- 20 gram Butter
- 50 gram Water
Plating
- 0.5 Apples
Instructions
Roasted Hazelnuts
- The hazelnuts need to be prepared in advance to allow them to cool completely: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat (8 out of 14 on my stove).
- Add the hazelnuts to the pan and fry them for about 10 minutes. Turn them about every other minute.
- Remove the roasted hazelnuts from the pan and place them in a clean dish towel, where you roll the hazelnuts against each other. Most of the skins will come off the nuts, but it doesn't matter if not all of them do. Let the more-or-less peeled hazelnuts cool slightly and then coarsely chop them.
- Let them cool completely before serving, so they become crispier.
Pan-fried Halibut Fillet
- Dry the fillets well with a paper towel.
- Heat a frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. On my stove, it's 11 out of 14.
- Add butter or ghee to the hot pan and let it melt.
- Fry the halibut fillets for 60 - 90 seconds on each side. A general tip with fish is that it continues to cook after you have removed it from the heat, so if it will be a while before you serve the fish, it’s better to fry for closer to 60 than 90 seconds.
- Remove the fish from the pan when done, and season with salt and pepper. If you don’t gourmet salt the fish, fry it for 2 minutes on each side and season with salt and pepper before frying. Let the juices from the fish stay in the pan - they will be used for the kale a little later. Let all the juices remain in the pan - they will be used for the kale a little later.
Jerusalem Artichoke Puree
- Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them into smaller pieces - as uniformly as possible.
- Boil them in unsalted water for 10 - 13 minutes until tender.
- Drain the water.
- Now blend them: If you use an immersion blender (I always do), put the Jerusalem artichokes into a jug or tall glass along with a little cream and some butter at a time. Gradually add the rest of the butter until the puree has the desired consistency. If you use a regular blender, just put the Jerusalem artichokes in the blender and do the same as with the immersion blender.
- Pour the puree into a new pot and turn on very low heat. Season the puree with salt and pepper (and optionally a little vinegar) and let it sit until you're ready to eat. Of course, it can also be eaten right away.
Kale
- Thoroughly rinse the kale leaves for any impurities and dry them well - I like to use a clean dish towel.
- Melt the butter with a little water in a large pot. Add the kale and cover with a lid.
- Let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring the leaves a few times during cooking to ensure even cooking.
- Remove the kale from the pot and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Add lemon juice and a little more butter to the pan where you fried the halibut, and turn on the heat.
- Fry the kale in the pan for 30 - 40 seconds on each side.
- Season the leaves with a little salt and pepper and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Assembly
- Rinse the apple and optionally peel it if you want extra fancy apple pieces.
- Cut the apple into small cubes approximately 2 x 3 millimeters.
- Place about two large spoonfuls of Jerusalem artichoke puree in the center of the plate.
- Then place 2 kale leaves on top of the puree.
- Place a piece of fish on top of the kale.
- Sprinkle with the crispy, butter-roasted nuts and apple cubes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Another time, I would remove the stems from the kale after they've been cooked. It was just a vanity thing that they stayed on, as I thought it looked better.