Springtime Halibut

I recall the first meal I cooked for my husband Adam and myself when we moved into our first home—a simple marinara over spaghetti. It remains the most memorable meal of my life. We crouched down to eat it at a makeshift table comprised of plastic shelving set in the middle of our narrow kitchen. The sticky, warm July evening filled the house with humidity, and our single air-conditioning unit barely cooled the first floor. As we twirled spaghetti on our forks, I told Adam life would never again be this good. He looked at me incredulously. He strived for more than I ever would and attacked life with an eagerness that I did not possess. He dragged me ahead at times, and I held him back at others; it was an ideal match. I relished those early days of our marriage in a house devoid of furniture except for a queen-sized mattress on the bedroom floor courtesy of Dial-a-Mattress. We didn’t have a television for months, and I never missed it. As our lives filled with beautiful children, new friends, weekend jaunts and many renovation projects, so too did our house with the many “things” that families acquire as the years pass. Life was good, often wonderful, but no longer simple. I suppose this is what I tried to communicate to Adam in my 25-year-old wisdom.

I still long for simplicity, but the reality of life demands otherwise. My quest to find ease in life frequently centers around meals created with just a few ingredients. The farmer’s markets, which will be upon us soon, provide the inspiration. Abundant leafy greens from romaine and bibb lettuces to dandelions and baby spinach satisfy us as we wait in anticipation for corn, tomatoes, peaches and plums—the gifts of summer. The simplicity of a flaky white fish set over just-wilted spinach works because the ingredients are fresh and light. And while we have a few months to wait for the tomato harvest, tiny heirloom ones do the trick here. 

Springtime Halibut

Serves 2

1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

3/4 pound halibut, 1 to 1 1/2 inches think cut into two equal pieces

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 ounces fresh spinach

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Slice tomatoes in half and place in a small bowl. Add garlic, basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and mix well. Let marinate for an hour. Can be prepared a day ahead.

In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat and add spinach. Saute until spinach begins to wilt turning spinach constantly, about 3 minutes. Take off heat and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set pot aside.

Preheat oven on bake setting to 350 degrees. Coat halibut with remaining olive oil. Set in a baking dish, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Set oven on broil. Place 1 tablespoon cold butter on top of each piece of fish and place fish under broiler for one to two minutes until butter melt and top of fish sizzles. Remove from oven and let rest. Drain spinach to remove excess water. Divide spinach between two plates and place fish on top of spinach. Spoon tomatoes over the top of the fish making sure to drizzle all of the dressing on the plate.