Cumin-Paprika Halibut with Couscous Salad
Dinner holy grail = healthy + quick to make + tastes good + little clean up. For meals like this, fish works great. You can bake, broil, or sear fish, and it’s ready in under 10 minutes. In this recipe, I use a halibut steak which is satisfyingly dense and meaty. The fish deliciously absorbs the flavors of the spice rub and butter.
Couscous is a great staple to keep around the house because it cooks quickly and pairs well with a lot of different spices. There are a variety of types of couscous. Moroccan couscous looks like a tiny grain while Israeli couscous is a bit larger – sometimes called pearl couscous. For this dish I prefer Moroccan couscous because it is finer, and I like the grain-like texture while Israeli couscous tastes more like a pasta.
I made a cumin-paprika spice mix to rub on the fish and into the couscous salad. Add fresh tomatoes, parsley, scallion, and lemon to the couscous for a fresh taste and you have dinner in about 20 minutes.
Cumin-Paprika Halibut with Couscous Salad Recipe
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup couscous
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 and 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus a drizzle)
- 1 (5-6 ounce) halibut fillet
- 1/2 Tbsp butter (divided 1/4 Tbsp and 1/4 Tbsp)
Directions
Prepare the Ingredients
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
- Cut the cherry or grape tomatoes in half and then into quarters to measure about 1 cup.
- Remove the parsley leaves from the stems and roughly chop into about a 1/4 cup.
- Chop both the green and white parts of the scallions.
Couscous
- In small or medium saucepan, bring 2/3 cup of water to a boil. Then, turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the stove. Add 1/2 cup cousous and gently shake the pan so couscous sets evenly. Return the lid quickly to capture the steam. Let the couscous set for 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the couscous and add 2 Tbsp of oil and 2 and 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Stir.
- Add the tomatoes, parsley, and scallions and return the lid quickly to capture the remaining heat. Let the veggies soften in the warm saucepan for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the saucepan, and stir in 1 tsp of the seasoning.
Halibut
- Drizzle the halibut with a little olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp of the seasoning mix.
- Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium to high heat. Melt 1/4 Tbsp of butter in the skillet.
- Add the halibut, skin side down to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook 3-4 minutes on the other side. The fish should be browned on the outside and opaque through the middle. If the fish is thick (more than 1 inch), you may need to turn the fish onto each side as well. If it is not opaque throughout, place the fish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking.
- Remove the fish from the pan and add the remaining 1/4 Tbsp of butter to the pan to melt.
- Serve the halibut over the couscous salad and drizzle the fish with the melted butter.
It’s important to use a hot skillet to cook the fish. It helps prevent the fish from sticking to the pan and gives a blackened crust to the fish.
The couscous salad makes delicious leftovers if you want to double the amount so you have extra.
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