Zucchini-Wrapped Halibut "Scallops"

Zucchini-Wrapped Halibut
Need From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes. If you have honey, ground pepper, heavy cream, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the dark brown sugar you could follow this main course with the Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies as a dessert.

Instructions

1
+ To prep, mix the ingredients for the two rubs and the glazein 3 separate bowls. Then, using a vegetable peeler, startpeeling along the length of the zucchini, beginning with thegreen outer layer, creating 1/2-inch-thick ribbons. Rotate thezucchini a quarter-turn after each peel in order to makesomewhat even-sized ribbons. Make as many as possibleand stop when you get to the seeds.
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VegetableVegetable
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SeedsSeeds
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BowlBowl
2
Lay the ribbons outon a plate and sprinkle the zucchini rub on both sides,spreading gently it with your hands until all of the piecesare covered. It doesn't have to be an even coating, but youwant every ribbon to have some color and spice.
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ZucchiniZucchini
Dry Seasoning RubDry Seasoning Rub
3
+ Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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+ Dip the halibut chunks into the scallop rub, making surethey are coated on all sides. Tightly wrap a zucchini ribbonaround a halibut cube like a belt, so that the ends overlap.Use a toothpick to secure the zucchini and push it throughto the other side.
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ZucchiniZucchini
HalibutHalibut
ScallopsScallops
WrapWrap
DipDip
Dry Seasoning RubDry Seasoning Rub
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5
Place the wrapped halibut on a plate andrepeat the procedure with the remaining fish and zucchiniribbons.
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HalibutHalibut
FishFish
6
+ Now it's time to start on your sauce.
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SauceSauce
7
Add the spinach tothe boiling pot of water and cook for 1 minute. Immediatelyremove the spinach from the water with a slotted spoon,reserving the cooking liquid, and transfer the spinach to acolander to drain. Rinse with cold water and when cool tothe touch, use your hands to tightly squeeze the spinachand wring out the liquid. Do this 4 to 5 times until no waterremains. Finely chop the spinach into little green bits andset aside.
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WaterWater
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PotPot
8
+ In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
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9
Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the flour and whisk until combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
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10
Add the cream and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
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SauceSauce
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11
Add the wine and the chopped spinach and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. The sauce will look thick, like creamed spinach. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep the sauce warm.
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SpinachSpinach
SauceSauce
WineWine
12
+ Reheat the water you used to cook the spinach, and bring to a boil. Make sure you have your halibut rounds, the glaze, a plate, a large sheet of foil, and your serving bowl ready to go, because you are about to be moving around your kitchen quickly.
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SpinachSpinach
GlazeGlaze
WaterWater
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Aluminum FoilAluminum Foil
13
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or according to the instructions on the package. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet (nonstick if possible). When the oil starts to hiss and sizzle, place the halibut pieces in the pan in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Evenly spread the glaze on the top of the fish and then flip the halibut rounds, cooking the other side for 2 minutes more.
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HalibutHalibut
GlazeGlaze
PastaPasta
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FishFish
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14
Spread more glaze on the top side again, flip, and cook for a final 1 to 2 minutes. The halibut will have a crisp, brown sear on both sides.
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HalibutHalibut
GlazeGlaze
15
Put the cooked fish on a clean plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. If you had to split the fish into two batches, repeat until all the halibut rounds are cooked.
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FishFish
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16
+ Finally, drain the pasta and put it into a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil so the noodles don't stick together.
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17
Add the warm spinach sauce to the pasta and toss.
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PastaPasta
SauceSauce
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+ To serve, make a nest of the sauced noodles on a plate and top with 4 or 5 "scallops" per guest.
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ScallopsScallops
PastaPasta
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Remove the toothpicks and dig in.
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+ note If you really want to fool your guests, it is easy to make your halibut cubes look more like scallops. Using a tablespoon as your stencil, press down slightly on the halibut and then trace around it with a sharp knife. If you cut your cubes small enough, you can just press them into the tablespoon to form a ball shape without having to cut the fish. But if you do have leftover fish scraps, don't throw them away. Cook them in a skillet with leftover rice, peas, and other vegetables to make a quick fried rice dinner the next night.+ note
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ScallopsScallops
HalibutHalibut
FishFish
PeasPeas
RiceRice
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KnifeKnife
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If you don't have time to make the noodles and sauce, here's an easy swap. USe your zucchini to make the noodles instead of fake bacon. Skip the spinach sauce and the zucchini wrap, and simply serve the scallops over a healthy bed of zucchini pasta noodles.
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Zucchini NoodlesZucchini Noodles
ScallopsScallops
ZucchiniZucchini
PastaPasta
SpinachSpinach
BaconBacon
SauceSauce
WrapWrap
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+ sodium count:Zucchini: 26mg per large zucchini; Halibut: 58mg per 3 ounces; Spinach: 24mg per 1 cup; Heavy cream: 5mg per 1 tablespoon; Noodles: 0 to 10mg, per 4 ounces dry depending on brand
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Heavy CreamHeavy Cream
ZucchiniZucchini
HalibutHalibut
PastaPasta
SpinachSpinach
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Sodium Girl's Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook
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Reprinted with permission from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. From Sodium Girl's Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook: How to Lose the Salt and Eat the Foods You Love by Jessica Goldman Foung. Copyright © 2013 by Jessica Goldman Foung; cover and interior photography copyright © 2013 by Matt Armendariz. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Recommended wine: Pinot Grigio, Gruener Veltliner, Pinot Noir

Halibut on the menu? Try pairing with Pinot Grigio, Gruener Veltliner, and Pinot Noir. Fish is as diverse as wine, so it's hard to pick wines that go with every fish. A crisp white wine, such as a pinot grigio or Grüner Veltliner, will suit any delicately flavored white fish. Meaty, strongly flavored fish such as salmon and tuna can even handle a light red wine, such as a pinot noir. You could try Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. Reviewers quite like it with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating and a price of about 26 dollars per bottle.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
A pale straw yellow. Clean, crisp fragrance with intense yet elegant hints of quince. Fresh, harmonious fruit set off by slight sweetness with a long finish full of delicate, tangy flavor.
DifficultyExpert
Ready In45 m.
Servings4
Health Score59
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