As a nod to the 2010 World Cup Champions, I decided to grill up some halibut with throw in some Spanish flavors. Okay, so I didn’t really watch any of the soccer matches except for the last hour of the finals. And how unfortunate that that was the match I decided to catch. I have sat through some real snoozer AYSO and club soccer matches… but come on, really. On to happier things.
I was actually trying to use some of the sweet Oven-Dried Tomatoes that I had made. There is a fresh and sun-dried tomato salsa recipe that I used to make when I was a personal chef. The girls at “Camp Crazy” (that’s another story) used to love it. Anyway, I must have had Spain on the brain after the World Cup and thought I would Spanish it up a bit. I infused some olive oil with saffron, garlic, thyme, and pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika). The pimentón adds a wonderful slight smokiness which really compliments the grilled fish. I had a little left over, so I marinated the fish in it (actually, I drizzled it over the asparagus too). ¡OLÉ!
Grilled Halibut with Fresh & Oven-Dried Tomato Salsa
Serves 4
Saffron Garlic Oil:
1/3 cup Spanish olive oil
1 medium pinch saffron threads
3 large garlic clove thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish paprika), or regular paprika
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 halibut fillets, about 6-ounces each
3 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
Fresh & Oven-Dried Salsa:
1 cup red cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup yellow cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup roughly chopped oven-dried tomatoes (sun-dried packed in oil)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil, saffron, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the pimentón, thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes. Set aside to cool.
Rinse halibut fillets with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a shallow bowl. Stir saffron garlic oil then measure out 2 tablespoons of the oil and set aside. Stir 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar into the remaining oil and spoon over fish. Turn fish to coat and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes (or cut in half if using grape tomatoes) and place in a medium bowl. Add the oven-dried tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons saffron garlic oil. Toss to combine and set aside covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to grill, remove fish and salsa from refrigerator. Prepare your grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Brush and oil the grate well before you begin cooking. Remove from marinade and place the halibut skin-side up at a 45 degree angle (for nice grill marks) on the grill. Cook for about 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets. The fish will be done when you can flake it easily with a fork.
Serve fish warm with Fresh & Oven-Dried Tomato Salsa and some grilled asparagus. Pour yourself and nice glass fruity Rioja Tinto and enjoy!
Give this recipe a try(you won’t be disappointed) and let me know what you think. Peace.
I often have BIG ideas about food, my business and life in general. Ideas and thoughts that I need to get out of my head, but seem to get bogged down as to whether or not it these ideas are showcased in the appropriate venue. So I've decided to just put it all out there. I've redesigned this site and now (hopefully), I will release into the interweb the ramblings of my mind.
Peace.
