Baked Halibut With Fennel Lemon (Print Version)

Tender halibut with aromatic fennel and crunchy lemon-walnut pangrattato. Ready in just 30 minutes for easy elegance.

# Components:

→ Fish & Vegetables

01 - 4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz each), skinless
02 - 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
03 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Pangrattato

06 - 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from rustic bread
07 - 1.5 cups walnuts, finely chopped
08 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate fish fillets in a single layer.
02 - Distribute sliced fennel evenly across baking dish base. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - Arrange halibut fillets directly on fennel layer. Drizzle remaining olive oil and lemon juice over fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the lemon zest.
04 - Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and breadcrumbs, stirring constantly until golden and crisp, approximately 3 minutes. Add walnuts and toast for 1 minute. Remove from heat and fold in parsley and remaining lemon zest.
05 - Distribute walnut pangrattato mixture evenly over halibut fillets, pressing gently to ensure adhesion.
06 - Bake for 12-15 minutes until fish is opaque and separates easily with a fork, and topping achieves golden color.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with additional fresh parsley or fennel fronds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The walnut pangrattato adds a textural contrast that feels indulgent without any heavy cream or complicated techniques.
  • Fennel becomes genuinely sweet and silky when baked, which surprised me the first time I made this, completely changing my relationship with the vegetable.
  • Everything happens in one baking dish, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy your dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of seasoning the fennel before the fish goes on top, because it seasons from the inside out and you can't fix bland fennel once it's cooked.
  • Toast your breadcrumbs separately instead of trying to do it on the fish because they steam instead of crisp, which ruins the entire textural point of the dish.
03 -
  • If your halibut fillets are thicker than two centimeters, bring them to room temperature before cooking so the inside finishes cooking at the same time as the outside, preventing that dry-edges-soft-center situation.
  • Make your pangrattato mixture ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for up to two days, which means you're genuinely only twenty minutes away from dinner on a busy weeknight.
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