Equipment
Ingredients
Spiced Pepper Bed
- 3 g fennel seeds, whole
- 3 g coriander seeds, whole
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 300 g yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 15 g garlic, thinly sliced
- 600 g bell peppers, thinly sliced, seeds and stems removed
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Fish and Finish
- 600 g halibut fillets, skinless, divided into 4 portions
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 g kosher salt, for seasoning fish
- 2 g lemon zest, freshly grated
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 388 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1004 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 108 mg
- Potassium
- 1158 mg
- Calcium
- 86 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 73 mg
- Phosphorus
- 442 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 317 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 203 mg
- Vitamin E
- 7.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 59 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.23 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 10.3 mg
- Folate
- 110 mcg
- Water
- 320 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the fennel and coriander seeds in a dry saute pan over medium heat. Toast for 2 minutes until deeply fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and crush coarsely.
Return the saute pan to medium heat and add 45ml of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
Add the garlic, sliced bell peppers, crushed spices, 5g of salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook gently. Stir occasionally until the peppers are meltingly tender.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Transfer the slow-cooked pepper and onion mixture along with all its juices into a baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Season the halibut fillets on all sides with salt and rub lightly with 15ml of olive oil. Nest the fillets gently on top of the pepper bed.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until the fish is opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and reaches an internal temperature of 63 C / 145 F.
Remove the dish from the oven. Immediately scatter the fresh lemon zest and chopped parsley evenly over the fish and peppers. Serve directly from the baking dish.
Chef's Notes
- The slow-cooked pepper and onion base is highly adaptable and tastes even better the next day. You can prepare it up to 48 hours in advance, keeping it refrigerated until you are ready to assemble and bake the fish, making this an ideal dish for parties.
- Pay close attention when toasting your whole spices. You only want them to become fragrant; over-toasting coriander seed can impart a harsh, bitter flavor to the delicate fish.
- A thicker cut of fish will require a longer baking time. If your halibut fillets are thicker than 1.5 inches, you may need to add 3 to 5 extra minutes in the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — The pepper base keeps exceptionally well and improves in flavor over 3 days. The cooked fish should be consumed within 2 days.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the pepper mixture only. The cooked fish will degrade in texture.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a 150 C / 300 F oven until the fish is just warmed through to avoid overcooking.
Troubleshooting
Fish is dry and rubbery
Cause: The fillets were overbaked or carried over cooking for too long in the hot dish
Fix: Flake the dry fish and fold it deeply into the moist pepper mixture, allowing the vegetable juices to rehydrate the protein slightly.
Prevention: Begin checking the internal temperature of the fish 3 to 4 minutes before the estimated time. Remove from the oven slightly before the target temp, as it will continue cooking.
Peppers are watery and have pooled liquid in the pan
Cause: The bell peppers had high water content and were not cooked down enough
Fix: Carefully pour off or spoon out the excess liquid from the baking dish before placing the fish on top.
Prevention: Cook the peppers uncovered for the final 10 minutes of their stove-top cooking phase to evaporate excess moisture.
Cultural Context
This recipe draws heavy inspiration from Mediterranean coastal cooking, bearing close resemblance to the Basque piparade and the Italian peperonata. By pairing slow-cooked, naturally sweet nightshades with a robust, meaty maritime protein, the dish achieves a perfect balance between earthy depth and oceanic lightness, a hallmark of Mediterranean culinary philosophy.
