Steamed Halibut with Teriyaki Glaze

Flaky white fish is one of my absolute favorites. Halibut is flaky, firm and tender with very low fat content. The cut of fish that I am using is a thick (1 1/2 inch), 1 pound piece. To fully take advantage of the flaky tender qualities of the fish, I wanted to ensure I cooked it thoroughly in the middle without overcooking the outside.

Steaming the fish worked perfectly. It allowed me to cook the fish through with minimal spices. Instead of spicing the fish while cooking I imparted flavor when I plated the fish by glazing it with teriyaki sauce. This resulted in a clean, fresh tasting fish. Divine!

Steamed Halibut with Teriyaki Glaze

Teriyki Sauce
1/4 cup mirin (mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 inch cube of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Deskin the ginger and mince. The easiest way I find to do this is to cut thin slices of the ginger. Line the slices up and run your knife through them to create very thin julienne strips. Then going in the opposite direction cut in very thin minced pieces. Remove skin from garlic cloves and mince. In a small saucepan add the mirin, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar and wine. Bring to a low simmer. In a separate bowl mix the cornstarch and ginger. Slowly drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, mixing thoroughly. Raise the temperature to a low bowl. As soon as the sauce bowls reduce back to low heat. The cornstarch mixture will create a wonderfully thick teriyaki sauce.

Steamed Fish
1 pound piece of Halibut cut in half
1 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 green onions - thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Heat a lidded skillet to medium high. Drizzle the pan with olive oil. Sprinkle the flesh side of the fish with S & P. Once the pan is hot place your fish in, flesh side down. After about a minute turn the fish and add the white wine. Place the lid on the pan to steam the fish. Cook for about 10 minutes. Turn after about 5 minutes. (The cooking time may vary if you are cooking a thinner piece of fish.)

Serve with steamed rice and your favorite vegetable. Place the fish partly on the rice and spoon a layer of your teriyaki sauce over the fish. Garnish with the green onion.