Green Pea Salad Over Broiled Halibut

People say we eat with our eyes. There might be some truth to that statement. I like this warm green pea salad recipe, another creation of Giada De Laurentiis, not only for its taste but also for its beautiful colors.

I must admit that I never really thought much of green pea before, let alone turning it into something appetizing. To me it was just some complementary vegetable used in a soup or in fried rice or just served (sadly and quietly) steamed as a side of something else better and tastier. And Jeff confirmed. He said he didn’t really care for green pea until he tried this salad. In this recipe, the vegetable gets a special attention enough to transform its plain being into a flavorful and visually appealing dish. Sometimes it really does depend on how we cook things, doesn’t it?

In Giada’s recipe, the salad is served over baked halibut fillets. As usual, I did a few things differently. First, I used regular green pea instead of petite pea. Second, I made the salad a little bit garlicky and of course spicy by adding Serrano peppers ;). Third, since I prefer to have my fish crispy on the outer part and flaky inside, I broiled the halibut instead of baking it. Lastly, the recipe called for fresh mint and thyme, which I didn’t have this second time I made it so I went without.

The result? Sweet but yet spicy with a hint of lemon, nicely seasoned, and surprisingly filling salad. A perfect companion to the flavorful, lemony, and flaky broiled fish. The combination makes a great dinner menu. I added boiled potatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper as a side but I really didn’t need to. The fish and salad were quite filling by themselves.

Here’s my adapted version to serve two people:

Salad ingredient list:

• 1 small bag of frozen peas (thawed)
• 4 garlic (chopped)
• 3 shallots (thin sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Serrano peppers (you could also use other bigger peppers like jalapeno, hot fingers, cayenne, etc.)
• Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Broiled halibut ingredient list:

• 2 halibut fillets (enough for two people)
• Lemon juice from 2 lemons
• 3 garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Steps:

• As suggested in the original recipe: I mixed the lemon juice, chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then I added the halibut fillets in the bowl, covered it with a plastic wrap, and let the fillets marinate for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Then I heated up a medium pan and added: olive oil, garlic, shallots, and bell pepper to cook for about 6 minutes until they became soft and translucent. Once they were cooked, I turned off the heat, and added the thawed peas, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Mixed all of them together nicely and set aside.
• After the 30 minutes marinating time was up, I placed the halibut fillets on an oven tray (sprayed with olive oil), and broiled them for 10-13 minutes (no turning) or until they had these golden color around the edges. I also made sure that there was about 6 inches (about 15 cm) distance between the broiler and the tray to avoid charring.
• I served the fillets and topped them with the green pea salad.

Thanks for coming and have a great day!

Original Recipe: Roasted Halibut with Pea and Mint Salad, (De Laurentiis, Giada. Giada at Home. Clarkson Potter, 2010. Pg. 134)

Online version: Roasted Halibut with Pea and Mint Salad