In her new cookbook, “I Heart Kosher: Beautiful Recipes From My Kitchen” (Weldon Owen, December 2018), Kim Kushner offers this recipe for a simple, one-pan dish: halibut braised with cilantro and paprika. Swap the halibut for your favorite fish for a tasty and quick lunch or dinner option, Kushner says, or serve it as a stunning and flavorful option during Passover.
If your family doesn’t consume legumes during the Jewish holiday, you can omit the chickpeas. And feel free to swap out the carrots for cherry tomatoes and zucchini to celebrate spring.
Halibut with Blitzed Chickpeas, Carrots, Lemon & Garlic
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, cut into chunks
¼ lemon, skin on, seeds removed, cut into small chunks
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 skinless halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a food processor, combine the carrots, bell pepper, lemon and garlic. Process until chopped
into small pieces. Add the cilantro and chickpeas and pulse 1 or 2 times until all ingredients are
chopped into tiny pieces, but not mushy.
In a large sauté pan, heat the light olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chickpea mixture
and stir in the turmeric and paprika. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the
mixture until bubbly, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Season the halibut with salt and pepper, and place the fish
over the chickpea mixture. Drizzle the halibut with extra-virgin olive oil, cover and simmer for
10 minutes. Uncover and spoon some of the sauce and chickpea mixture over the fish before
serving.
Make-ahead tip: The chickpea mixture can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in
an airtight container in the fridge. Halibut with blitzed chickpeas may be prepared up to 4 hours
in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat in a sauté pan, partially covered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
— Courtesy of Kim Kushner’s “I Heart Kosher: Beautiful Recipes from My Kitchen” (Weldon Owen, $35)
