Sear-Roasted Halibut with Blood Orange Salsa

Blood oranges facinate me. The colors are intense reds, oranges, yellows, purples, and even black for the flesh of the orange. The flavor is not overly sweet but used for adding to salads, poultry, seafood, and desserts, such as tarts and sorbets, which all can really show off the blood orange's colors and flavor.

I learned to shop for oranges of all types by looking for ones firm and heavy for the fruit's size and to definitely steer clear of soft spots, blemishes, and fruit looking dry. Oranges do not continue to ripen once picked.

I have been dying to fix Halibut and we just so happen to have fresh Halibut in stores presently. I know the fish is a little spendy but Halibut is one of the thicker fillets with a firm texture and great flavor worth splurging on! YUM!

I was looking through a Fine Cooking magazine and saw one of the recipes that makes a person stop instantly, look through the ingredient list, and start making out a grocery list of necessary ingredients. Never reaching a point of wondering if the recipe is truly worth creating. Roasted Halibut with blood orange salsa is delicious! I want to double the recipe and make it for a larger group of people next time because the flavor, colors, and presentation are fantastic.

Sear-Roasted Halibut with Blood Orange Salsa
(adapted from FineCooking Magazine)

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
3/4 cup fresh navel or Valencia orange juice (from 2 medium oranges)
3 small blood oranges, cut into segments, segments cut in half
2 Tbs. minced red onion
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. finely grated navel or Valencia orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the halibut:
1 tsp. finely grated navel or Valencia orange zest (from 1 small orange)
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. skinless halibut fillets
3 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Make the salsa:
In a small saucepan, boil the orange juice over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the reduced orange juice, blood orange segments, onion, cilantro, olive oil, and orange zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the halibut:
In a small bowl, mix the orange zest, thyme, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Rub the mixture all over the halibut fillets. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, arrange the fillets in the pan. Sear for about 2 minutes without moving; then use a thin slotted metal spatula to lift a piece of fish and check the color. When the fillets are nicely browned, flip them and put the pan in the oven.

Roast until the halibut is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the halibut to serving plates. Spoon some of the salsa over each fillet.