Pan Seared Halibut With Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Sauteed fillet of fish
Juanmonino / Getty Images
Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 13 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This recipe for pan-seared halibut with red wine reduction can be made with salmon, snapper or other white fish as well, but the meatiness of halibut really lends itself to searing. Choose thick (1 ½ ”) filets for this recipe. The sauce can be made ahead of time because it holds very well (store in an airtight glass container), which makes this an excellent choice for entertaining. 

Ingredients

  • 4 fillets halibut (about 5 ounces each), skinned

  • Sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon dry herbes de Provence

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons mild local honey

  • 1 shallot, cut in half

  • 1 small bay leaf

  •  1 fresh rosemary sprig (about 2 1/2 inches long)

  • 2 1/2 cups good quality red wine (e.g., pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon)

  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock

Steps to Make It

  1. Prepare the sauce: Place the honey, shallot, bay leaf, rosemary sprig, red wine and broth in a small, heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan.

  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.

  3. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking, until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup and coats the back of a spoon. 

  4. Discard the rosemary, bay leaf, and shallot. (This makes about 1 cup, enough sauce for 8 to 10 entree servings.) Leftover sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

  5. While the sauce is cooking, season the halibut filets top and bottom with sea salt, pepper, and herbs.

  6. Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet (or lightly oil a stovetop grill) over medium-high flame.

  7. Place the filets top-down in the skillet, and cook about 7 minutes, until deep golden.

  8. Turn the filets skin side down and cook an additional 6 to 7 minutes, until both sides are golden and the fish is just cooked through. 

  9. Plate filets and drizzle with red wine reduction sauce.

  10. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs or Italian parsley leaves.

Tip

  • Herbes de Provence is a Provencal herb blend of savory, thyme, basil, fennel, rosemary and/or lavender.

Recipe Variation

  • Organic sugar is a good substitute for honey in this recipe.
  • If you like, use or chicken broth instead of vegetable stock.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
559 Calories
9g Fat
17g Carbs
72g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 559
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 191mg 64%
Sodium 499mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 72g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 1956mg 42%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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