Halibut Fillets with Cannellini Beans and Castelvetrano Olives
Description
This is an amazing, quick and very delicious meal with a Tuscan flair to it. It is one of our all-time favorites!
At a Glance
Equipment
It is important to have a shallow baking dish to prepare this main course. A “Le Creuset” dish is ideal because it adds a nice presentation…
but a standard shallow 2 ½-3 quart baking dish will work well also….
Ingredients
2 ounces of Pancetta, diced into chunks and cooked in a sauté pan or skillet until crisp
12 ounces of Halibut Fillets, cut into 4 pieces
1-15.5 oz. can of Cannellini Beans, drained
¼ cup of Castelvetrano Olives, pitted and chopped
Half of a Roma Tomato, chopped
1 cup of Tuscan Kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian Herbs
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of Serrano Chili, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of Shallots, finely chopped
2 Lemons, thinly sliced with all the seeds removed
2 tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
½ teaspoon of Lemon Pepper
1 tablespoon of Chives, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Lemon Sauce
Lemon Centers of the Fruit from the cooked slices
2 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the cannellini beans, the Castelvetrano olives, the chopped tomato, the chopped Tuscan kale, the crispy pancetta, the dried Italian herbs, the serrano chili, the minced garlic, the finely chopped shallots, and the extra-virgin olive oil. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients until they are well-integrated. Pour this mixture into the shallow, baking dish, and layer the halibut on top in a single layer. Then sprinkle the lemon pepper on top of the halibut.
Layer the lemon slices on top of the halibut, slightly overlapping – like shingles on a roof...
Put the baking dish in the oven for about 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the halibut. The halibut should be opaque throughout. Remove it from the oven, take the lemons off and set them aside, and then let it rest for about 5 minutes. Quickly cut the peels off of the lemon slices while the fist is resting and discard the peels. Put the center of the lemon slices into a food processor along with the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard for the lemon sauce, and whizz it down to a consistent sauce. This sauce can be used to top the halibut. Then sprinkle the fish dish with the chives, the salt, and the freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve.
Serving Suggestion:
We enjoy serving this in the Le Creuset dish that we cook it in because it makes for a lovely presentation.
This dish is wonderful with the Fresh Fig Appetizer and a lovely Italian salad – a Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing with an Arugula Salad; you can find these recipes easily by clicking on these recipe titles.
