Name: Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Baked Halibut
Ingredients: 1 garlic head; 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 pound halibut, skin removed, in 4 even fillets; Kosher salt, as needed; Freshly ground black pepper, as needed; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Photo of Halibut baked with parmesan and garlic cream sauce for story about cooking fish with dairy.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Fish can be intimidating for those who didn’t grow up cooking or eating it. One of the best ways to ease people into eating anything unfamiliar is by smothering it in roasted garlic and cheese. Forget the old Italian maxim of not mixing seafood and cheese: they pair magically and make first forays into cooking and eating halibut easy to execute and even easier to eat.

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Ingredients

1 garlic head

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound halibut, skin removed, in 4 even fillets

Kosher salt, as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Step 2
Cut off the top of the head of garlic and brush off some of the outer paper skin, leaving just the individually wrapped cloves. On a piece of foil, pour the olive oil over the garlic, then wrap the foil around it and place it in the oven for 45 minutes, until it’s completely soft. For the recipe, you’ll only need six cloves from the head, but it’s worth making a whole head to keep the rest for spreading on crusty bread or adding to salads.
Step 3
Raise the oven temperature to 425˚F.
Step 4
Heat the butter in an oven-proof pan over low heat. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. When the butter is melted, add the halibut and put it into the oven for 10 minutes. The fish should be just cooked and opaque throughout.
Step 5
While the halibut cooks, blend or food process together six cloves of garlic, the mayonnaise, and parmesan. When the halibut is done, pull it out and generously smear the mayonnaise mixture on the top. Switch the oven to a high broil and return the pan to the still-hot oven for 4 minutes under the broiler, until the top is almost entirely golden brown.
Step 6
Remove and serve immediately.

Pink salmon filet topped with green herbs and oil.

Excerpted from The Pacific Northwest Seafood Cookbook: Salmon, Crab, Oysters, and More © 2019 by Naomi Tomky. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.