There’s no shortage of great halibut recipes; the firm but flaky white fish is incredibly versatile. In the summer, when even the idea of pulling out your baking sheets and turning the oven knob makes you shudder, the grill is an excellent match for fresh halibut fillets. To keep things simple, no marinade or lengthy prep time is required here. You can make the basil-shallot butter garnish in the time it takes to preheat your grill. To make it a complete meal, toss some vegetables on the fire for a quick side dish.
Store leftover herb butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator to toss with pasta, Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper for the next day’s lunch.
For other halibut preparations, check out pan-seared halibut with herby beans, lemon juice, and capers or this spring-y baked halibut recipe with asparagus and ramps. Looking for more simple fish recipes? Our weeknight favorites include fish tacos with cilantro-chile sauce, turmeric fish with rice noodles and fresh herbs, and more.
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
1½
1
1
1
6
Preparation
Step 1
Finely chop basil and shallot in mini food processor. Add butter, 2 Tbsp. at a time, and process until blended, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides. Transfer to small bowl; stir in lemon zest and season with kosher salt.
Step 2
Prepare grill for medium heat. Rub fish fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook halibut until fillets are just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Immediately spread some basil-shallot butter over fish. Serve, passing additional basil-shallot butter alongside.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in June 2007. Head this way for more of our best seafood recipes →