Grilled Halibut with Pesto

I don't think I ate enough halibut while I was in Alaska because I have been craving it ever since we got back. Halibut is one of my favorites and unfortunately it is a little pricey here but I splurged and got two large fillets. My basil plant was about done and needed to be used so I decided to make a pesto to slather on the fillets. I served the fish on top of a bed of greens dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. This was a delightful summer dish.

Ingredients

2 large halibut fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch sea salt

pepper

2 large handfuls of basil (I apologize for the approximation but this is how I do it)

1 large handful of flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

a few grinds of pepper

about 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Heat the barbecue to medium-high heat. Brush the halibut fillets with oil and season with sea salt and pepper.

In a food processor, add the basil, parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse the machine on and off until the ingredients look coarsely chopped. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the work bowl. Continue pulsing the machine and slowly pour in the olive oil until the pesto is fully pureed but still has a little texture to it.

Grill the halibut until it just starts to flake apart (about 4 minutes per side). Just before you are about ready to take the fish off the grill, spread a nice layer of pesto over the fillets(there will be lots of extra pesto, refrigerate use in other dishes). Serve immediately.

Recipe by me.

Halibut