Easter recipe

HALIBUT WITH LEMON & PARSLEY RISOTTO

The Easter break is looming, so what to choose to as a suitable dish ?  Eggs are so ‘every day’, and lamb is so ‘Sunday lunch’.  Not being one to deny myself anything delicious, I’m usually of the same mind as my friend Kathie, who announced that she was giving up Lent for wine; even those of us that do not observe the holy aspect of Easter enjoy the tasty treats that the occasion offers us. 

I have chosen a recipe that has a traditional Easter ingredient: Fish.  Did you know that Halibut means “Holy Flat Fish” ?  I am pairing the Halibut with a light spring risotto, simply flavoured with lemon and parsley.  Lemon is perfect with parsley and heavenly with Halibut.  An Easter appropriate delight.

Whilst the risotto is simple to prepare, it does require TLC during the cooking process.  Not a big deal; a mere 30 minutes out of your life that will be eased with a crisp glass of Chablis on the kitchen counter.  Halibut is not an inexpensive fish; I paid £8 for a decent sized Isle of Gigha fillet in Waitrose.  I also find Morrison’s fish counter to be excellent.  If you are budget conscious, perhaps use Lemon Sole instead.  However, I say hang the expense; my personal motto is “never economise on luxuries”.

This meal is a total taste bomb. From such simple ingredients you’ll be surprised by the explosion of flavours.  As a final gesture to Easter, I pop a poached golden egg yolk on top.

Ingredients

Fillet of halibut (400g is ideal for 2 people)

 200g Arborio risotto rice

1 onion

30 ml of olive oil

100ml white wine

1 pint of chicken or vegetable stock

Salt & pepper

2 unwaxed lemons

Bunch of parsley

2 eggs

Method

Finely chop an onion and sauté in the olive oil on a gentle heat until soft and translucent.  Add rice and stir well to ensure all the grains are coated. Keep on a low heat for 3 minutes but do not allow rice and onion to colour, then add the wine. Heat the stock in a separate pan, until simmering point. Add the hot stock in small amounts, allowing it to fully absorb each time. Stir regularly and season to taste about half way through. This process will take approximately 25 minutes. When the risotto is almost ‘al dente’, add the zest of two lemons, followed by the juice of one and a half of the lemons. Save the other half of lemon for the fish. The rice is cooked when the texture is still creamy, but not sticky. Remove from the heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes whilst you pan fry the Halibut. Blitz the parsley (or chop finely) and stir into the risotto just prior to serving.

I tend to pan fry fish but you could grill, or bake in foil.  A halibut fillet needs cooking for just 2 or 3 minutes on each side, in a little oil, on a medium to high heat. I also add a knob of butter and spoon over the fish. Don’t forget to season it and finish off with the lemon juice and perhaps a splash of wine.

Finally, and this takes mere seconds if you prepare a small pan with water boiled from the kettle, pop an egg yolk into the pan and cook on a medium heat for just a minute.

Serve your risotto, with the Halibut and the glorious runny egg yolk; it’s hard to say which of these is the “star of the show”.