Related recipes: Fit and Fast Meals, Garlic, Halibut, Herbs, Low-Sugar, Main Dishes, Rice, Seafood, Tomatoes
Add these dishes to make a full meal:
Fresh Baby Spinach with Wild Mushrooms
This delightful dish is from the Asturias region of northern Spain, located on the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, which is famous for its hard cider. Before fermentation, apple cider is called "sweet." If allowed to ferment, the cider becomes hard. The alcohol content can vary. Hake is the traditional fish used for this Spanish meal. It can be difficult to find in the United States, so I have used halibut instead in this recipe. The general rule for cooking fish is 10 minutes for a 1-inch-thick piece. If the fish is thicker or thinner, adjust the cooking time, using the 10-minute rule as a guideline. Remember, the fish will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat. I usually cook the fish 8 minutes per inch to account for this.
Yield: 2 servings
Halibut in Cider
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb halibut
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup hard cider
Saffron Rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup 10-minute brown rice
1 cup water
1/8 tsp saffron
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Halibut in Cider
Place flour on a plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Roll halibut in the flour, making sure all sides are coated. Shake off excess. Heat olive oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut and brown 3 minutes, turn, and brown second side 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Raise heat and add garlic, tomatoes, and cider to the skillet. Cook 5 minutes to thicken sauce. If tomatoes are watery, cook a few more minutes. Return fish to skillet, lower heat, and cook in sauce 3 minutes. Remove fish to 2 dinner plates and spoon sauce over fish.
Saffron Rice
Heat olive oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice and toss 1 minute. Add water and saffron. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with halibut.
Shopping Tip: Hard cider is available in the liquor department of many supermarkets. If you can't find it, use sweet cider, light beer, or apple juice in the recipe.
Variation: Cod or haddock can be used instead of halibut.
Variation: Turmeric can be used instead of saffron for the rice.
Cooking Tip: A quick way to chop parsley is to snip the leaves off the stem with a scissors.
Copyright © 2005 by Linda Gassenheimer
Copyright © 2007 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
Learn more about the authors of Healthnotes.
The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.