We love the delicate finessful flavor of halibut, but there was always something slightly missing in its depth of flavor. Without the powerful umami flavors of tuna or swordfish, the rich exquisite oil-rich salmon, or the dense flavorful flakes of snapper, sea bass or mahi mahi, halibut seems to need some umami richness.  Usually in restaurants, halibut is drowned in creams or butter to avoid its tendency to dry out.  This little feast solves all those problems… with Italian prosciutto!  

Just wrap thick chubby slabs of halibut on both top and bottom with delicate thin prosciutto slices, and then slide it into the broiler or sear in a cast iron pan in olive oil.  The intense umami flavors from the aged Italian ham searing against the delicate snow white Halibut flesh  is just amazing… this is the best halibut we’ve ever tasted.  Just wrap the halibut in Prosciutto and cook it your usual way.  We like to make a light creamy sauce which compliments the delicate halibut flavor.

We promise you a revelation in umami cooking. Enjoy! 

Ingredients…

1 1/2 pound halibut filets, usually 2 or 3
1/4 pound of prosciutto, about 6 to 8 sheets
kitchen string to hold the prosciutto tight to the filets
2 cups clam or seafood broth, reduced by 1/3
1/2 cup cream
1 cup white wine
1 large shallot, finely minced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil if you use the broiler, and 2 more tablespoons if you use a cast iron pan on the stove top
2 ounces butter
1/2 cup of tarragon or Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers (optional but tasty)

Prep Work…

Lightly salt the filets and wrap each one with two thin sheets of prosciutto, holding them in place with kitchen string.

Cooking…

In a 12 inch saute pan, heat the olive oil and the garlic together, until the garlic begins to foam.

Add the butter and when hot, add the shallots and saute until they are just beginning to brown.

Now add the white wine to deglaze, it should sizzle and reduce. When the white wine is simmering, add the seafood broth and simmer until 1/3 reduced, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour in the cream and lower the heat, simmer until thick and married.

Add the tarragon or parsley and remove from the heat.

Now slide the filets into the broiler with a bit of the garlic cream sauce on top or you can use the stove top with a 12 inch cast iron fry pan and sear the filets in the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil, until they turn snow white in the center.

Serve with cream sauce and garnish with parsley. Enjoy.