Pan Cooked Halibut with Tomato Butter Sauce

Necessity is the mother of invention! A family fishery in Alaska popped up on my Instagram feed announcing that it was Halibut season. 24 hours later, I opened an ice pack lined box and we enjoyed our first of many suppers of fresh fish.

When we found it necessary to stay home and not leave if at all possible, a small group of friends and I got very creative with online food provisioning. We are eating far better quality, often organic farm raised and wild caught proteins, than I am able to buy at our local Safeway - Fedex and UPS Next Day Air for the win. It's a small world after all.

Copper River Alaskan Seafoods is amazing. I cant wait until King Salmon season!

Ingredients

• Two, 6 ounce portions fresh Alaskan halibut, skinned
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Dill seed or chopped fresh dill
• Olive oil
• A handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• One fresh lemon, zested, cut in half to squeeze into pan, the other half cut into wedges as garnish
• ¼ cup white wine - Chardonnay works
• A few leaves of fresh basil, coarsely chopped - I grow purple basil in a backyard pot
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Season the fish with salt, pepper and a pinch of the dill on both sides.
• Heat a large saute pan with a thin glaze of olive oil - saute fillets until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side - remove from heat; transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.
• Turn heat to high, add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, juice of half lemon, white wine and 1 teaspoon dill.
• Cook 1 to 2 minutes to reduce until slightly thickened - remove from heat, add butter, swirling pan to melt.
• Transfer halibut to serving plates, spoon over the sauce with the tomatoes. Add the fresh basil and a lemon wedge.