Spiced Halibut With Spinach and Chickpea Stew
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- ⅓cup/60 milliliters olive oil
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼teaspoon dried Persian lime powder (optional, see note)
- 2garlic cloves, crushed
- 2teaspoons lemon zest
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- 4skinless, boneless halibut fillets, patted dry (about 1 pound/410 grams total)
- 1can chickpeas (15.5 ounces/400 grams), drained and patted dry
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
- Olive oil
- ¾cup (80 grams) finely chopped yellow onion
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 2mild green chile peppers, such as Anaheim, finely chopped
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon dried Persian lime powder (optional)
- ½teaspoon ground coriander
- 1fresh cinnamon stick, roughly crushed
- 1¼packed cups/50 grams cilantro (coriander)
- ½packed cup/25 grams flat-leaf parsley
- 1pound/400 grams baby spinach
- 1¼teaspoons flaky sea salt
- 2cups/500 milliliters chicken or vegetable stock
- 1½teaspoons granulated sugar or caster sugar
- 3tablespoons lemon juice
- 1lemon (peel the skin to get 3 strips and juice to get 2 tablespoons)
- 1mild green chile pepper, such as Anaheim, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
- 2spring onions, finely sliced on an angle
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 2packed tablespoons/5 grams cilantro (coriander), roughly sliced
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper
For the Halibut
For the Spinach Stew
For the Salsa
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Marinate the fish and chickpeas: In a small bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients together. Add 2½ tablespoons of marinade to a bowl with the halibut and mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the marinade to a separate bowl with the chickpeas and stir to combine. Set both aside at room temperature.
- Step 2
Prepare the spinach stew: Add ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon/75 milliliters of the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat with the onion and gently fry for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, chile pepper, spices and cinnamon stick and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, add the herbs and some of the spinach to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Repeat in batches until all the greens are finely chopped. Add the chopped spinach and herbs to the pot with the onions, along with 3 tablespoons of oil and the flaky salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the spinach turns a deep green color, almost gray.
- Step 4
Add the chicken stock, sugar, lemon juice and ⅓ cup/100 milliliters water to the pot. Bring to a rapid simmer and then lower the heat. Cook for 20 minutes until thickened slightly.
- Step 5
Make the salsa: Finely slice the lemon skin into very thin strips, then mix with the lemon juice and remaining salsa ingredients and set aside.
- Step 6
When you’re ready to serve, heat a large nonstick frying pan on a high heat, then add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chickpeas and fry for 6 minutes, stirring every now and then until crisp and golden-brown. Transfer to a plate and wipe the pan clean.
- Step 7
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the halibut fillets, spaced apart, and fry for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side until both sides are crisp and golden brown.
- Step 8
Add about two-thirds of the chickpeas to the stew and stir together, then transfer the stew to a large platter with a lip. Place the halibut fillets on top of the stew, then scatter over the remaining fried chickpeas. Finish with the salsa and serve at once, sprinkled with more flaky sea salt if you like.
- You can buy ground Persian limes, or start with a whole dried one: Roughly crush it with the side of a knife and then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
Private Notes
Comments
Bon Appetit has a good article on dried limes from a few years ago. https://www.bonappetit.com/people/chefs/article/yotam-ottolenghi-dried-l...
I did not make the salsa, as I was short on time. I supplemented with a squeeze of lemon instead. The spinach stew, made without the dried limes, was absolutely DELICIOUS (stew + chickpeas + couscous was well-received by toddler). I am not fussed by the amount of oil in the recipe, and I think I used more. I will be making this in bulk and freezing portions. I am not convinced that the fried chickpeas were worthwhile, the next time I will be try it without the fried chickpeas.
here is a little background on dried limes and, how to crush and use them https://ohbriggsy.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/spice-rack-challenge-dried-lime/
Was GREAT. Recipe says ground coriander, assuming it meant ground coriander SEEDS. Which i did use. Also used star of anise instead of cinnamon (because i didnt have). Not such a random nor creative substitute as the two spices seem pretty similar but worked great! And love an excuse to use star of anise.
Made it for my husband’s birthday dinner! A delicious labor of love that took me about four hours—but I work from home *and* have a 6.5 month old so the time listed would probably be accurate for someone not juggling 15 other things will trying to cook.
Even if you don't plan to make this complete dish, the marinade treatment for the halibut which is then pan cooked results in delicious fish. The salsa component makes a perfect accompaniment but a lemon wedge to squeeze works instead if you're in time saving mode. With a herb centric green salad alongside the halibut, an easy, healthy, taste bud satisfying meal.
Advertisement