This dish is as fresh tasting as you can get; the flavor will knock your socks off.  My sister found this recipe many moons ago and the minute she shared it with me I fell in love.  Not only is it amazing tasting..its health profile is pretty darn attractive.  The fish provides huge amounts of protein, omega-3 essential fats, magnesium and potassium.  Pair that with the healthy whole fat of the cream sauce and the antioxidants and lycopene (which is thought to have a cancer protective effect) from the tomatoes and you’ve got a serious winner.  The cream sauce and tomato relish are also tasty on shrimp, tilapia or mahi mahi but we tend to splurge and go for the halibut the majority of the time-a treat you will not regret.

Unfortunately I am unable to give you the original source from the recipe as it has been lost and forgotten over the years.  My sister opts to seed the tomatoes before chopping them and I don’t…I prefer saving all of that flavor and juice that you would lose by seeding them.  If you are like her and not much of a seed lover feel free to discard them by slicing the tomatoes in half and squeezing the seeds out of each.  Because I have opted to use the juice and seeds I altered just a few small things:  I upped the tomato amount and lessened the olive oil amount which is reflected in the recipe below.  One last note:  this is a perfect dish for entertaining as you can prepare both the sauce and tomato relish ahead of time so all you have to do is take ten minutes to cook the fish once your guests arrive.

Halibut with Tomatoes and Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Minced Shallot

4 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

1 Cup Whipping Cream

2 Cups Diced Fresh Tomatoes-preferably homegrown

1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil

4 6 Ounce Halibut Filets

Directions

Combine 2 tablespoons shallots, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vinegar in a small saucepan.  Boil until almost no liquid remains, about 4-5 minutes.  Add cream and simmer for an additional minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and chill.

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, basil, garlic, 2 tablespoons shallots and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat grill over high heat or preheat broiler.  Brush both sides of the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.  Grill or broil until the fish is opaque in the center, about 4 minutes per side.

Rewarm the sauce.  Serve by layering the sauce and the tomato relish over fish.  Serves 4.