grilled halibut, marinated in spicy harissa

Delicious recipes are included in each issue of the South Anchorage Farmers' Market Newsletter, be sure to sign up!
subscribe to newsletter via rss • subscribe to recipes via rss • subscribe to newsletter via email
download the print-friendly version of this recipe

This marinade recipe is from Peter Berley’s Flexitarian Table. This recipe will knock your socks off, flavor-wise (but not hot-spicy-wise!), especially if you buy the whole spices (cumin, fennel, and caraway), toast them until fragrant in a small skillet, then grind them right before you make this. I have a designated coffee grinder that I only use for grinding spices. (It’s kind of hard to get all the cumin taste out of the coffee grinder before your spouse uses it to make coffee the next morning.) You can get really fresh spices, whole or ground, from Summit Spice & Tea Co. (1120 E. Huffman Road #4).

I like to serve this fish with brown basmati rice (check out this recipe--it’s the easiest way to make really good brown basmati rice) and a simple green salad (for example, with the garlicky, mustardy red wine vinaigrette).

2 teaspoons ground cumin, preferably freshly toasted and ground
½ teaspoon ground fennel, preferably freshly toasted and ground
½ teaspoon ground caraway, preferably freshly toasted and ground
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound halibut, cut into approximately 1”x 2” rectangles

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cumin, fennel, caraway, cayenne and salt. Whisk in the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
2. Toss the fish in the harissa. Marinate the fish for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat your grill on high heat, and when the grill racks are very hot, scrub them clean with your grill brush. Just before you’re going to grill the halibut, fold a paper towel into a 3” square, and soak this pad in a small dish of canola oil. Swab the grill racks thoroughly with the oil-soaked pad, then immediately set the halibut chunks on the hot, oiled rack.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and cover the grill. Cook the halibut on that side until it has nice grill marks and will release from the grill without sticking, about 3 minutes.
5. Use the same paper towel to oil the nearby grill space, and then carefully turn the fish chunks with tongs onto the newly oiled patch. Cook for another couple of minutes until it’s done to your liking. Don’t overcook it on the second side—you won’t get grill marks on this side, so just take the fish off as soon as it begins to flake when poked with your tongs. It will continue to cook a little bit after you take it off the grill, so be vigilant.