In the Galley: Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

This is an easy dish you’ll want to add to your dinner rotation. Fresh tarragon is important. When raw, tarragon has somewhat of a licorice flavor, and when it is combined in a sauce like this one, it will add notes of sweetness. If you don’t care for tarragon, a good substitute is fresh basil or thyme.

Halibut, the main ingredient, is an incredibly decadent and rich-tasting fish. Any other type of whitefish, such as cod, can serve as a great substitution.

Including prep time, this recipe takes just about 30 minutes, making it quick and easy. Low-stress cooking with high returns is the name of the game here. 

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skinned and trimmed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ cups mushrooms, halved if large

3 ounces prosciutto, sliced (this is optional, and you can substitute cooked, drained bacon)

1 cup dry white wine or organic chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

fresh chives or green onions, minced

Rosemary Buttered Noodles

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

8 ounces dried egg noodles, cooked and drained

Parmesan cheese, grated

freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Pat the halibut dry with a paper towel, and season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When hot, add halibut and cook, turning once, until opaque but still moist, about four minutes total. Remove the fish, set aside and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms and prosciutto to the pan. Cook until mushrooms soften and begin to brown, two to three minutes. Add wine and cream.

Return the fish to the pan, reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about eight minutes. Stir in tarragon and vinegar; cook for one minute. Garnish with chives.

For the noodles, melt butter over medium heat in the same pot that was used to cook the noodles. Add rosemary and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add drained noodles to the pot and toss to coat with the butter, then transfer to a serving dish. Top noodles with Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

This article was originally published in the November/December 2022 issue.