Steamed Halibut with Ginger Lime Broth

“This recipe is from the The Slanted Door cookbook by Charles Phan. Along with Sea Forager’s exceptional fish, you simply can’t go wrong.”

  • Sea Forager member Rena Pasick

We built this fish entree around herbs like lemongrass and cilantro. Most of your time will be spent finely mincing those herbs, but the resulting broth and delicately flavored fish are worth it. Although most recipes using cilantro utilize only the herb’s leaves, here the stems are featured for their intense flavor and crunch. Serves 6

BROTH

2 stalks lemongrass

4 cups chicken stock

4 pieces fresh ginger, each 2 inches long

1 Thai chile, halved lengthwise


FISH

3 pounds Alaskan halibut fillet

½ cup finely chopped cilantro stems

½ cup finely minced lemongrass (about 2 stalks)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped Thai chiles

2 ¼ teaspoons minced garlic

2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt


Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Fish sauce to taste

Cilantro, for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish

Fleur de sel, for garnish


  1. To make the broth, trim the lemongrass, leaving only the bottom 5 to 6 inches of the stalks, and peel away the outer layers, leaving only the tender stalks. Bruise the lemongrass by smashing it with a small pot or the dull side of a cleaver. In a medium sauce-pan over high heat, combine the lemongrass, chicken stock, ginger, and chile and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. 

  2. Meanwhile, cut the halibut into 6 equal pieces and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cilantro stems, lemongrass, olive oil, chiles, garlic, and salt and stir to form a paste. Spread evenly over the tops of the halibut fillets.

  3. Set up a steamer and steam the fish until firm to the touch, about 4 minutes per inch of thickness. Just before serving, stir the lime juice and fish sauce to taste into the broth. Place each piece of fish in a bowl and pour ½ cup of the broth around the fish. Garnish with cilantro, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.  

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