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OxfordPress.com

Pan-roasted halibut

The best way to fix fish, particularly when it is the first of the season, is to keep it simple. It needs nothing more than a bit of butter and some equally seasonal chives, which are already up in local gardens.

Halibut, with its big, white flakes, is meatier than many other white fish and takes well to the technique of pan roasting, which is so effective with other seafood, such as salmon.

Pan roasting is very easy and virtually foolproof, ideal for seafood novices. It gives the fish a brown crust that can't be obtained by baking or grilling.

Remember that halibut, unlike salmon or tuna, needs to be fully cooked. Those big flakes should be white throughout, not translucent. Just poke the fish with a knife and see if the flakes start to separate. That's when it is done.

Makes 2 servings
2 6- to 8-ounce halibut fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
Butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season the halibut on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) until hot and add the oil. Put the fish flesh side down in the pan and cook over medium-hot heat for 4 to 5, until well browned. The fish will easily release from the pan when it is ready to be turned. Use tongs to turn over, then place the pan in the hot oven.

The roasting time will vary with the thickness of the fillet, from 5 to 8 minutes, or a bit longer for cuts from a very large fish.

Remove from the oven and top with a pat of butter, which will melt from the heat of the fish. Immediately remove fish from the pan or the fish will continue to cook from the residual heat.

Sprinkle with fresh chives.

• Note: Asparagus, roasted or steamed, with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, is a springlike accompaniment, though the local crop of that vegetable is still weeks away.