These Halibut Recipes Promise a Fresh, Protein-Packed Meal

This fish gets its Middle Eastern tang from zaatar, a spice blend that’s having a big moment, and its sesame-rich sauce. A fine side dish: oven-roasted diced potatoes (start them before the fish) tossed with parsley and olive oil. Couscous would be good too.

One year, chef and cookbook author Joanne Weir led a culinary tour to the Cinque Terre in Italy. “We went out on the Mediterranean, where we drank prosecco and ate seafood cooked on a tiny grill…I relished the fresh grilled calamari and halibut skewers as I baked in the sunshine and gazed at the crystal blue waters from which the seafood had just come. A few people decided to go for a swim. I won’t mention whether bathing suits were involved. What happens in the Mediterranean after 18 bottles of prosecco stays in the Mediterranean.” This is her ode to the skewers from that day.

You’ll need two bunches of chard to get enough large leaves to wrap the fish, and a two-tiered bamboo steamer to steam it. It’s essential that the lemons be sliced paper thin–a mandoline or very sharp knife works well.

The creamy, delicately flavored salsa tastes equally good with salmon.

The gentle licorice-like flavor of chervil leads a swirl of spring flavors in this refined, party-worthy dish. All you need are little steamed new potatoes on the side. It’s fast and easy–just be sure not to overcook the delicate halibut.

When it’s cold and blustery outside, dig into a steaming bowl of this curry.

Crisp-fried corn tortillas add crunch to this saladlike main dish, but tortillas warmed in the oven are a quick, low-fat substitute.

Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard make up the power trio behind this flavorfully prepared fish.

Ask your fishmonger for halibut from the Channel Islands, or try the fish markets in Ventura, Santa Barbara, or elsewhere up the coast.

Inspired by the flavors of both a Bloody Mary and Italian salsa verde, this easy, bright sauce works with almost any fish.

What’s more fall than a salsa made of apples? The apples are seared slightly alongside chopped shallots before being tossed in a dressing of lemon juice, dijon mustard, and fresh herbs. The texture plays nicely alongside the hazelnut crust on a soft white fish like halibut.

Cured in the same way as salmon gravlax, this halibut is delicate in taste, with a faintly sweet, herbal flavor. Pacific halibut gets a green light from Seafood Watch for its well-managed fisheries in both California and Alaska. Find crème fraîche in the dairy cases of well-stocked grocery stores.