Grilled Halibut with Fennel, Tomatoes, and Roasted Garlic Rouille

Time: About 1 1/4 hours. Make both red- and white-wine lovers happy. This meaty halibut dish goes both ways: We love it with a light-bodied, high-acid red, such as Sangiovese, and with two aromatic white Rhône grapes, Roussanne and Marsanne (traditionally blended with Viognier but now going solo more often).

Total Time: 1 hour(s) 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• About 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 5  cups  thinly sliced sweet onions (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
• 3  cups  thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1/2 lb.; save green fronds for garnish if you like)
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1  tablespoon  grated orange peel
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2  teaspoon  saffron threads, crumbled
• 2  cups  coarsely chopped firm-ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 lb.)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4  pieces boned, skinned halibut fillet (1 in. thick, 5 to 6 oz. each), rinsed and dried
• Roasted Garlic Rouille

Preparation

1. Pour 3 tbsp. oil into a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add onions, fennel, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine, orange peel, thyme, and saffron; boil over medium-high heat, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste; reduce heat to low and cook, occasionally stirring gently, just until heated through, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare a grill for direct medium-high heat (about 450°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 4 to 6 seconds); oil grill well. Rub halibut all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Lay halibut on cooking grate; close lid if using a gas grill. Cook, gently turning once, just until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 10 minutes total.

4. Spoon vegetables onto plates and top with halibut; garnish with fennel greens if you like. Serve rouille alongside.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving without rouille.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

310 (38% from fat)

Protein:

21g

Fat:

13g (sat 1.7)

Carbohydrate:

26g

Fiber:

5.8g

Sodium:

100mg

Cholesterol:

25mg