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There’s a dinner transfer I’ve been perfecting currently: put one thing scrumptious on the grill, pour a glass of rosé, and do completely nothing for the subsequent 10 minutes whereas dinner takes care of itself. Cedar plank halibut is that dinner.
We’ve undoubtedly entered our grilling period currently—partly as a result of the climate’s been stunning and we’ve been spending each doable night exterior, and partly as a result of I’ve been obsessive about planning our outside kitchen on the seaside home. We’re constructing one thing that appears like it would change how we prepare dinner and entertain as a household, and all that planning has me enthusiastic about the type of meals I need to make on the market. Dishes that really feel seasonal and particular, however don’t require me to be tethered to the range. Meals that look (and style!) spectacular however are largely simply good elements doing their factor. Working example: this grilled halibut, cooked merely on a cedar plank.
What Makes Cedar Plank-Grilled Halibut So Good
Right here’s the factor about cedar plank cooking: it sounds extra technical than it’s. Soak a plank, warmth your grill, and let the fish prepare dinner on the wooden whereas the lid stays closed. What you get is a delicate smokiness that infuses the fish from beneath—not overwhelming, however current—plus fish that stays impossibly tender as a result of the plank acts like a buffer between the direct warmth and your halibut. No flipping, no threat of the fish falling by way of the grates. It’s a method that does numerous the heavy lifting for you.
The Salsa Verde That Brings It All Collectively
This salsa verde is a type of issues I’ve began making in large batches and placing on every little thing. When pals style it, their eyes get large, and so they’re like—what is that this magic? Parsley, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, capers, lemon juice, and a superb quantity of olive oil. Pulse all of it collectively, and what comes out is that this punchy, herby, barely briny sauce that elevates no matter it touches.
I’ve drizzled it over roasted greens, stirred it into grain bowls, and spooned it over a fried egg. On this halibut, it’s particularly good as a result of the richness of the fish and the smoke of the cedar want one thing vibrant and assertive to stability them out. This salsa verde does precisely that.
Why Cara Cara Oranges Work So Effectively Right here
The cara cara oranges are the crowning glory that pulls the entire thing collectively. I’ve been loving cara caras currently (we’re additionally planning a citrus grove for the seaside home, so orange and lemon recipes have been very a lot on the mind). They’re sweeter and fewer acidic than a daily navel, with this attractive blush-pink flesh, and once you tuck segments across the fish proper earlier than serving, it provides a sweetness that you just’d in any other case want an entire separate sauce to realize. It’s a type of combos that sounds somewhat surprising after which makes full sense the second it’s in your fork.
Make Grilled Halibut (Ideas Earlier than You Begin)
The complete methodology is within the recipe card under, however just a few issues price understanding earlier than you begin:
- Give the cedar plank a stable hour-plus soak in water—longer is ok, shorter shouldn’t be. That is the step individuals skip after which marvel why their plank caught fireplace. (Really: plan forward on this one.)
- Let the fish come to room temp for 15-20 minutes earlier than it goes on the grill. Season it generously. Halibut is delicate, which is what makes it nice, however it wants salt to essentially come alive.
- As soon as it’s assembled on a platter—fish, salsa dripping down the edges, orange segments tucked round, torn herbs, flaky salt—it genuinely seems to be like one thing you’d order at a pleasant restaurant. Which is the entire level. A easy inexperienced salad on the facet and also you’re executed.
This one is already on my record for one of many first dinners I’ll make in our outside kitchen, and I’ve a sense it’s going to change into a summer time common.
A Few Notes Earlier than You Make It
Should you can’t discover cara cara oranges, blood oranges are beautiful right here, and navel oranges work too. You’ll lose somewhat of the colour drama, however the taste mixture remains to be actually good. The salsa verde retains within the fridge for just a few days and will get higher because it sits, so make further. And if grilling isn’t an possibility, you may completely roast the halibut in a 400°F oven—the salsa does a lot of the work that the dish holds up both method.
I’d love to listen to from you guys in case you do this one!
Description
That is a type of meals that feels spectacular however is nearly fully hands-off. Smoky cedar, vibrant herby salsa, candy citrus—it seems to be like a restaurant dish and tastes even higher.
For the halibut:
- 4 (5-6 ounce) halibut filets, skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the salsa verde:
- 1 cup packed parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup recent mint leaves
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded or not, roughly chopped
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For serving:
- 2 cara cara oranges, segmented into supremes
- Flaky salt
- Additional herbs (mint, cilantro, or parsley), torn
You’ll additionally want:
- 1 cedar plank, soaked in water for at the least 1 hour
- Soak your cedar plank in water for at the least 1 hour. Preheat your grill to medium warmth.
- In a meals processor or blender, mix the parsley, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, garlic, capers, and lemon juice. Pulse till finely chopped, then stream within the olive oil till unfastened and spoonable. Season with salt and pepper and modify to style. You need it vibrant, herby, and somewhat punchy.
- Pat the halibut dry and let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Drizzle calmly with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the soaked plank immediately on the grill grates and shut the lid for two minutes, till it simply begins to smoke. Prepare the halibut on the plank, shut the lid, and prepare dinner for 10–12 minutes, relying on thickness, till the fish is opaque and flakes simply. No flipping wanted.
- Switch the halibut to a serving platter. Spoon the salsa verde generously excessive, tuck the cara cara orange segments across the fish, and end with torn herbs and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Serve instantly.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook dinner Time: 12
Key phrases: grilled halibut
