Fish intimidates people. So, what if I told you that fish is one of the easiest things to master! The KEY to fish is freshness. And it cooks so quickly that you can make dinner in a flash! Although this requires baking spaghetti squash, you can do that ahead of time.
This is a recipe from “The Olives Table” Cookbook, by Todd English and Sally Sampson. It is another favorite cookbook of mine. The flavors are fabulous. I made this for Christmas Dinner last year, and it was a hit. Plus, it stays moist, and unlike a lot of fish entrees, it tastes pretty good the next day!
STEAMED TAGINE OF HALIBUT WITH MOROCCAN-SPICED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
The Moroccan spices make the spaghetti squash taste marvelous, and it adds an exotic taste that takes it from bland to “I need this recipe”. So, here it is!
Cooking the halibut.
SERVES 4 (photo at left is a triple recipe, but I only increased the fish portion, 2 spaghetti squash make a lot of sauce!)
2 medium-size spaghetti squash, halved 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1½ teaspoons curry powder 1 head Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (also known as curly cabbage, if you can’t find it, use a regular one) 1 cup Chicken Broth 8 to 10 canned plum tomatoes, cut into small dice (or if it’s summer, 3 large tomatoes diced) 4 6-ounce halibut fillets 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepperYOGURT SAUCE:
¾ cup plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt, but you can use plain soy or almond if you don’t eat dairy) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley flakes 3 scallion greens, chopped ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper
The finished dish with a Mediterranean Buffet for Christmas Day, 2011
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large roasting pan and add 1 inch of water. Place in the oven and bake for about 1-1 ¼ hours, or until the squash is very soft. When it is cool enough to handle, discard the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Set aside.
To make the yogurt sauce: Combine the yogurt, parsley, scallion greens, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the garlic, curry powder, cabbage, broth, tomatoes, and reserved squash, stirring well after each addition, and cook for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the halibut with salt and pepper and lay it on top of the squash mixture and cook until the halibut is opaque throughout, about 5 – 7 minutes. Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt sauce on top of each fillet.
