Fresh Basil-Lemon Halibut

Since our freezer is half full of halibut fillets from our recent trip to Alaska, I've been on the hunt for an easy, tasty fish recipe. Ken and I love fish and the mild flavor of halibut lends itself well to many seasonings. Yet, I've found many flavors take away from the actual 'fresh fish' taste, which growing up in Hawaii, I learned to treasure. The foil technique included below helps keep the fish moist while it bakes, "steaming" it in the basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. I hope you will enjoy this easy yet simply delicious vinaigrette!

Foil-Steamed Lemon-Basil Halibut

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped and/or crushed
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3-4 six-ounce halibut fillets

Aluminum foil, for baking

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, chopped/crushed and garlic cloves in a small bowl until combined. Stir in fresh basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. With large sheets of foil handy, dip each halibut fillet into the lemon-oil mixture and place onto a large sheet of foil, one fillet per sheet. After placing all the fillets onto separate sheets of foil, gently lift the sides of the foil up, creating a bowl-shape for the fish (so that liquid will not spill out.) If any oil mixture remains in the small bowl, divide it among the fish on the foil sheets. 

Wrap the foil together, loosely sealing the packets of fish, so that no liquid escapes during baking. Transfer the fish packets to a large baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes, checking for doneness. (Fish is done when it flakes easily off a fork inserted into it.)

Optional: I cut up slices of yellow squash and included them in the halibut packets. You can easily do this with zucchini or other vegetables.