This Summery Coconut-Spice Halibut Is Great Steamed or Grilled
In this recipe from chef Floyd Cardoz, delicate halibut fillets with a zesty rub of fresh herbs, chiles and coconut cook inside foil packets for moist, tender results
ZEST PATTERN Fresh herbs, chiles, spices and lime make an invigorating rub for this light, summery steamed halibut. Photo: David Malosh for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Barrett Washburne, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel
By
Kitty Greenwald
June 26, 2018 2:28 p.m. ET
The Chef: Floyd Cardoz
Photo: MATTHEW COOK
His Restaurants: The Bombay Bread Bar in New York City; the Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, both in Mumbai, India
What He’s Known For: Cooking regional-Indian food with creativity and finesse for over three decades. Winning the third season of Top Chef Masters.
FOR A CHEF as well-versed in his idiom as Floyd Cardoz is, tradition and originality aren’t necessarily mutually opposed. “Indian dishes always have a balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter,” he said. “The push and pull between these five things changes depending on what you want to achieve.”
In this recipe, Mr. Cardoz’s second Slow Food Fast contribution, halibut fillets are rubbed in a paste of coconut, serrano chile, spices and fresh herbs. Lime juice provides the sour note, balanced by a dash of sugar. A more conventional recipe would call for more spice, but Mr. Cardoz opts for a light touch here. “Halibut is delicate,” he said. “If it were fattier, like tuna or mackerel, it could take the heat.”
Sealed inside individual foil packets, the tender fish steams just a few minutes, protected from direct heat, for moist, flaky results. This method is foolproof enough to be flexible, depending on the occasion. “You can also put the parcels on the grill,” said Mr. Cardoz. “The fish will get more caramelized, but that’s also nice.”
TOTAL TIME 30 minutes SERVES 4
- ½ cup shredded coconut, soaked in warm water 10 minutes and drained
- Leaves from 12 sprigs mint, plus more to garnish
- Leaves from 6 sprigs cilantro, plus more to garnish
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 limes, juiced, plus extra lime wedges to garnish
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1. Fill a pot with about 3 inches of water and place a steamer basket inside. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, make rub: Place coconut flakes, mint leaves, cilantro, chile, ginger, fennel, coriander, turmeric, lime juice, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor or blender. With motor running, pour in oil and enough water to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency (about 2 tablespoons). Season with salt and lime juice to taste.
3. Season fillets with salt. Lay each fillet on a 6-inch square of aluminum foil. Spread rub evenly all over fillets. Fold foil over fish to form packets and crimp edges to seal.
4. Before placing fish in steamer, make sure basket sits just above simmering water. (If necessary, pour out excess water.) Place fish in steamer, cover pot and steam parcels until a cake tester inserted in center of each fillet emerges warm, indicating fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Carefully open parcels and transfer fish to plates or a serving platter. Garnish with lime wedges and sprigs of mint and cilantro. Serve with a salad and flatbread, rice or potatoes.