Halibut with Tomato-Olive Sauce
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Last updated
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40–50 minutes
- Yield
- 4 servings
Main Coursehalibuttomatoesolivesseafood dinner
Ingredients
- 4 evenly sized halibut fillets, about 6 oz each, that meet the recommendation conditions
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Method
Prepare
- Pat the halibut dry, remove any pin bones with clean tweezers, and season with the salt and black pepper.
- Seal each fillet flat in a food-safe pouch without stacking or overlapping the pieces. Keep the sauce ingredients away from raw-fish contact surfaces.
- Rinse the tomatoes and basil under running water and dry them before cutting or tearing.
Cook
- Set the water bath to 125°–130°F.
- Cook for 40–50 minutes for immediate service after the thermometer check.
- Near the end of the cooking window, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a clean saucepan. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and water, then simmer gently until the tomatoes soften and release their juices. Stir in the olives and lemon juice.
Check before finishing
- At the end of the bath, open the pouch and transfer each piece intact to a clean surface with clean utensils. Discard the pouch liquid and any sauce that touched raw food.
- Use a clean food thermometer. Check the thickest portion or center of every piece. Insert from the side for thin pieces so the full sensing area reaches the center, and check several places in every large or irregular piece.
- Every spot you check must reach 145°F for at least 15 seconds. If any reading is lower, keep cooking with a method hot enough to reach this temperature and check each cooler spot again. Complete this check before finishing.
Finish
- Once every halibut fillet passes its thermometer check, pat it dry on a clean surface and handle it gently to keep it whole.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a clean nonstick skillet. Color one broad side of each fillet lightly, then lift the fish onto clean plates with a wide spatula.
- Stir the basil into the warm tomato-olive sauce just before serving.
Serve
- Spoon the sauce around and over the halibut, add lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
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