February 5, 2024

Recipes for the boat: Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

LaDonna Rose Gundersen

Guest Author:

Halibut with tarragon cream sauce by LaDonna Gundersen's in the The Little Alaskan Halibut Cookbook

For the tireless fishermen navigating the seas, Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce offers a straightforward yet delightful addition to your meals. No need for fancy techniques here – just the promise of amazing flavors. Fresh tarragon is the key, imparting a sweet note absent in its dried counterpart. If tarragon is a stranger to your taste buds, you're not alone; its raw licorice undertones transform into sweet nuances in this sauce. Not a fan? Consider fresh basil or thyme as worthy alternatives.

While halibut's richness is undeniable, its price can be a hurdle. Fear not; swap it with the more economical cod without compromising on taste. This recipe, tailored for your demanding days, seamlessly comes together in 30 minutes, prep included.

And here's a galley tip for your hardworking routine: prep ingredients in advance for low-stress cooking with high returns. That's the name of the game here!

Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce serves four:

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 (if you don’t have prosciutto, use bacon and drain well or just omit it)
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:

8 ounces dried egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced Parmesan cheese, grated freshly
ground black pepper

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. Add oil. When hot, add halibut and cook, turning once, until opaque but still moist, about 4 minutes total.

Remove fish, set aside, and keep warm. Add mushrooms and prosciutto to the pan. Cook until mushrooms soften and begin to brown 2-3 minutes.

Add wine (or broth) and cream. Return fish to the pan, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon and vinegar; cook for 1 minute. Garnish with chives. Serve with buttered noodles.

Buttered Noodles: Cook noodles as directed on the package. Drain, but do not rinse. Melt butter over medium heat in the same pan that was used to cook the noodles. Add the rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained noodles to the pan and toss to coat with the butter, then transfer to a serving dish. Top noodles with Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Alaska Seafood

Halibut

LaDonna Rose Gundersen

Five months a year, LaDonna Gundersen lives on a 32-foot fishing boat in Southeast Alaska with her husband Ole, a commercial fisherman and their boat cat Keta. Miles from civilization, LaDonna keeps boat and cooks healthy meals from her tiny 4 x 5’ galley kitchen, often contending with the swells and swallows of the sea. Find more great galley recipes from her seven Alaskan-Themed cookbooks at ladonnarose.com