Ginger Halibut with Brussels Sprouts

January cold, the proper kind. Minus twelve Tuesday morning — I checked the thermometer before I went out to the barn and took note. Below zero days in Vermont require a specific preparation: more layers than you think, the car started ten minutes before you need it, the pipes checked. Everything works; it just requires more attention than above-zero days. The farm handles it. The farm has been handling Vermont winters for a hundred years before I got here and it will handle them after.

I've been making long-cooked things. The cold weather and the long evenings ask for it: the big braises, the stews, the soups that go on the stove in the afternoon and are ready by dinner with the house warm from the effort of making them. Made a lamb shank braise on Tuesday — two shanks in the Dutch oven with red wine and tomatoes and herbs, four hours in the oven. The smell of it cooking through the cold afternoon was exactly right. The house doesn't need any other warming when there's a braise going.

Carol called with a question about sourdough — she's started a starter, inspired by Teddy's success with it. She asked about feeding schedules and flour ratios and I walked her through it. She's been baking bread since she was twelve years old; the sourdough is just an extension of that into new territory. By March she'll have it. She has the right instincts and she's not afraid to fail, which are the two things that determine whether someone learns to bake.

The tomato seedlings under the grow lights in the spare room are not yet started — that's February's work. But I've been thinking about which varieties to grow this year, turning over the question as I do in January, which is the right season for that kind of contemplation.

The lamb shank braise on Tuesday was the kind of cooking that justifies the whole season—four hours, the house warm, nothing to do but wait. But not every cold night has four hours to give it, and that’s where this recipe comes in. Ginger halibut with Brussels sprouts is what I reach for when the evening is short and the cold is still asking for something real: a hit of warmth from the ginger, the earthiness of sprouts that have been in the ground since October, and fish that cooks quickly but doesn’t feel like a compromise. Carol would approve.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 halibut fillets (6 oz each), skin removed
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roast the Brussels sprouts. Toss the halved Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until beginning to brown at the edges.
Make the ginger glaze. While the sprouts roast, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until combined.
Add the halibut. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and push the Brussels sprouts to the sides. Place the halibut fillets in the center and brush generously with the ginger glaze. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the sprouts.
Finish roasting. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the halibut is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and the Brussels sprouts are caramelized and tender.
Glaze and serve. Spoon any remaining glaze over the fish, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ginger Halibut with Brussels Sprouts — A Cold-Night Dinner Worth the Effort