Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut with Asparagus Sauce

After some web searching and thinking, I decided on this recipe (or a close approximation of it). We had most of the ingredients, and it sounded tasty. Turns out, it was exceedingly tasty and pretty simple too. This recipe was so good that I might even make it for parties or special occasions.

A word on the ingredients: the spinach came from Alm Hill Gardens, the sage was from our garden, and  the asparagus was from Alvarez Farms. The only non-local ingredient we used was some thinly sliced prosciutto we picked up from Whole Foods. However this recipe would work with thinly sliced bacon or pancetta as well, two things you can regularly find at the local farmers’ markets from Sea Breeze Farms.

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut with Asparagus Sauce adapted from Food and Wine

• 1 pound fresh halibut (preferably without skin)
• 8 thin slices of proscuitto
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 leek
• 1 cup of water
• 3-4 handfuls of spinach
• A small amount of lard (or a small bit of olive oil)
• 8 sage leaves
• Salt and pepper

1. Mince the leek and cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Set the asparagus tips aside.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leek and saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the asparagus pieces and the water and cook until most of the water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Stir regularly.

4. Stir in the spinach, cooking until it has wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. In a blender or food processor, puree the sauce mix, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Transfer the sauce to a pot and keep warm over very low heat.

7. Cut the halibut into four pieces. Each piece should be a little smaller than a deck of cards.

8. Lay out two pieces of prosciutto on a cutting board partially overlapping.

9. Set a piece of fish at one edge of the prosciutto and place two sage leaves on top of the fish. Roll the fish in the prosciutto, folding in the sides of the prosciutto to form a nice little package.

10. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt a little lard or heat some olive oil.

11. Place the fish in the pan and brown both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).

12. Transfer the fish to an oven safe dish and cook for 5-10 minutes in a 450 oven to finish cooking the fish.

13. Add the asparagus tips to the hot pan and cook for 5-7 minutes while the fish cooks.

14. Serve by plating a generous spoonful of sauce on a plate, topping with the fish, and adding a couple of asparagus tips.

Is it dinner time yet?

Chef’s Notes: Wow. We knew this would be a good dish, as it has several of our favorite ingredients: pork products, asparagus, and halibut. We didn’t know how good it would be. This was easily one of the top meals we’ve had over the past month or two (and we have some darn good meals). The prosciutto was salty and a little caramelized and it blended perfectly with the clean white fish. Halibut can be a little too mild for some people, so adding a strongly flavored pork product is the perfect foil. I was a little nervous about the asparagus sauce, since I usually prefer to just have my asparagus whole, but it was a nice, clean addition to the dish and really helped moderate the saltiness of the prosciutto. We’ll be making this regularly this summer.

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Tagged as: asparagus, halibut