Black Olive Encrusted Halibut

This company-worthy recipe bakes in under fifteen minutes, but be sure to start it early in the day. You’ll want to allow a couple of hours for marinating the halibut, plus several hours for letting the coating dry before baking.

This dish pairs nicely with wild rice and steamed sliced carrots.

1. For marinating: Mix together the olive oil and minced black olives. Set aside half the mixture at room temperature to use for garnish later. Coat the pieces of fish well with the remaining mixture, and place in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

2. In a small frying pan over low heat, combine the oil and shallots, and sauté for 1 minute. Raise the heat to high, add bread crumbs and stir until crisp, about 1 minute.

3. Place the diced olives in a bowl and add the bread crumbs and thyme, mixing well.

4. Place the pieces of fish on a small cookie sheet, cover the tops with the mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and refrigerate uncovered for 3 hours. This will allow the crust to dry and adhere to the fish.

5. Preheat oven to 218°C (425°). Coat the bottom of a large glass baking dish with nonstick spray or oil. Arrange the fish in a single layer and bake until fish is opaque throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to individual plates, drizzle the reserved black olive/olive oil mixture on and around the edges of the fish, and serve.