Pan Seared Halibut with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 (6 oz) Popsie Wild Alaska Halibut Portions
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• ½ Small Onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 12 Oz Mushrooms (any variety), sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• ½ Cup Dry White Wine
• ½ Cup Chicken Broth
• 2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 3 Tbsps Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions

For the Halibut

1. Bring the halibut to room temperature. Pat the fish dry. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
2. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
3. In the skillet over medium-high heat add olive oil and butter. Heat until butter is melted.
4. Place the halibut in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the fish has turned golden.

5. Turn the fish over with a spatula. Cook for another 30 second.

6. Transfer to a towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil before serving.

For the sauce

1. In same pan, sauté onion in butter until softened.
2. Add mushrooms along with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms have released their juices.
3. Add garlic, thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the wine to deglaze and loosen any bits off the pan. Simmer until the wine has almost fully reduced.
5. Add chicken broth and cream. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
6. To thicken further, combine cornstarch with 2 tbsps of water and mix well. Add cornstarch mixture into mushrooms a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
7. Let simmer 1 minute.
8. Season with parsley and taste for seasoning.

Recipe Note

For a firm-but-flaky fish, shoot for a perfect medium (130 to 135°F). The center will be opaque, but not glossy or pink. If a rare, or medium-rare is more to your liking, look for temperatures around 120°F for rare and 125°F medium rare.