Halibut Cheeks with Golden Kiwi and Avocado Tartare
Golden kiwis are used to great effect in this dish of seared halibut cheeks with a sweet/savoury puree, avocado and macadamia tartare, and black rice.
Course Appetizer, Main Dishes
Cuisine Canadian, Miscellaneous, North American
Keyword avocado, golden kiwi recipe, macadamia nuts, savory kiwi recipe
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Marinating Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours
Servings 4people
Calories 732kcal
Ingredients
Fish and Rice
450ghalibut cheeks(see note)
3/4cupblack rice
2tbspolive oil
Marinade/Sauce
2golden kiwis
1mediumshallotpeeled, ends discarded
1/4cupdry white wine
1tspginger juice(from about 1 tbsp of grated ginger)
1tsplemon juicepreferably fresh-squeezed
1tbsprice vinegar
1/8tspturmeric
1/2tspsalt
1/4tspsesame oil
1tspolive oil
Tartare
2golden kiwispeeled and diced
1mediumavocadodiced
1largeshallotfinely diced (about 1/3 cup)
130gmacadamias (lightly salted)chopped or very coarsely ground (a little under 1 cup)
3-4stemschiveschopped, plus a few to garnish
1.5tspolive oil
1/4tspsesame oil
Instructions
Prep
Trim and clinging tough bits of membrane from the halibut cheeks and set aside.
Prepare the black rice as instructed on the packaging (see note below). Let it cook while you marinade the fish.
Marinade
Cut the golden kiwis in half and use a spoon to scoop the the flesh away from the skins. If you work carefully, you should be able to get almost all of the fruit out. Cut out and discard the black seeds (they can be bitter when pureed).
Combine the kiwis, shallot, wine, salt, ginger juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, turmeric, and salt in a small food processor (or use an immersion blender) to form a puree. Stir in the olive oil and sesame oil and set aside.
30 minutes before you're ready to cook the fish (which will depend on when your rice is ready), combine the halibut with about half of the marinade and set aside. Put the rest of the marinade in the fridge.
Kiwi and Avocado Tartare
Combine all of the tartare ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently. Add 1 tbsp of the marinade and continue to mix. The ingredients should be well-combined, but take care not to smash the avocado.
To Serve
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high in a well-seasoned or good non-stick pan. Add a few pieces of halibut to the pan, leaving enough room to avoid crowding them. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the fish is well-seared, then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the halibut cheeks. Repeat with remaining cheeks, adding a little extra oil to the pan if necessary. Set the cooked fish aside.
Add a splash of water or white wine to the hot pan to deglaze it. Pour the liquid over the halibut cheeks and set aside.
Serve a portion of black rice, topped with tartare, and finished with one or two halibut cheeks. Garnish with chives, and a generous spoonful of the reserved unused marinade.
Notes
There are several varieties of black rice, each with slightly different preparation techniques - if you have a rice cooker, I've found that you can generally cook Chinese black rice like a white rice (add a 10 minute soak and rinse) and Thai black rice like a brown rice. Regardless, make sure you follow the instructions on the package for the variety you're using.Golden kiwis are a distinct variety of kiwi with a unique flavour. They also lack the protein-digesting enzymes found in green kiwis. Don't substitute green for golden, as you'll end up with a different flavour - not to mention pre-digested fish!