Baked Halibut With Fennel Lemon (Printable Version)

Halibut fillets baked with fennel and topped with crunchy lemon-walnut pangrattato in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish & Vegetables

01 - 4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz each), skinless
02 - 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
03 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Pangrattato Topping

06 - 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from rustic bread
07 - 1.4 oz walnuts, finely chopped
08 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the fish fillets in a single layer.
02 - Scatter the sliced fennel evenly across the base of the baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the lemon juice, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - Place the halibut fillets on top of the fennel. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice, and season again. Sprinkle with half the lemon zest.
04 - In a skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and breadcrumbs, stirring until golden and crisp (about 3 minutes). Stir in the walnuts and toast for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley and remaining lemon zest.
05 - Top the halibut fillets with the walnut pangrattato mixture, pressing lightly so it adheres.
06 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the topping is golden.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley or fennel fronds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours but you'll be sitting down in half that time, with barely any cleanup.
  • The crunchy topping adds texture that makes plain baked fish feel like something you'd order out.
  • Fennel mellows beautifully in the oven and soaks up all that lemony, garlicky flavor.
  • You can swap the fish depending on what's freshest without changing a thing about the method.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the breadcrumbs in oil first, raw crumbs on top turn soggy and sad instead of crispy.
  • Check your fish a minute or two early, halibut can go from perfect to rubbery fast and there's no bringing it back.
  • If your fennel slices are thick they won't soften in time, so take an extra minute to slice them properly at the start.
03 -
  • Make extra pangrattato and keep it in a jar, it's incredible sprinkled over roasted vegetables, pasta, or even scrambled eggs.
  • If your fennel has nice fronds attached, save them for garnish, they taste like mild licorice and make the plate look restaurant ready.
  • Press the topping onto the fish with the back of a spoon so it forms a crust instead of just sitting loose on top.
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