Fast & Fabulous: Roasted Halibut with Fennel & Dill Salad & a Delightful Rhone White Wine

If you're looking for a beautiful, delicious and healthy dish that's also quick and easy to make (yes, it checks ALL the boxes!), look no further! Our latest Fast & Fabulous recipe for Roasted Halibut with Fennel & Dill Salad features a simply roasted halibut fillet perfectly complemented by the bright acidity and crunch of pickled fennel salad as well as our featured wine selection, a delightful white wine from France's Rhone Valley. This dish is so flavorful and refreshing it's perfect for serving during the warmer months ahead.Halibut is a fish with a mild flavor, kind of along the lines of tilapia and snapper but with a delightfully more dense texture. For those of you who are not the biggest fan of salmon's strong flavor and oily texture (like me!), halibut is definitely the fish for you. Seek it out at your local fishmonger, we love Captain Clay's Fish Market in downtown Delray Beach, and be sure to find the freshest fillet you can get your hands on. Ask them to leave the skin on which always helps the fish hold together while cooking and then you can remove it later if you prefer. It has been our experience that any uneaten halibut skin makes a delicious snack for the puppies of the house.Regarding the pickling process, I must admit whenever I heard the term mentioned previously it always conjured images of my grandparents in their hot kitchen furiously canning pickles, a necessary production to maximize the cucumber harvest from their vegetable garden. While I've always adored the flavor, the process sounded (and looked) very labor intensive and intimidating. I'm happy to report after making this recipe, "quick pickling" couldn't be easier and I'm now looking for more recipes that implement this technique! "Pickling" is essentially just "marinating" in which you immerse your choice of vegetables or fruit in a mixture of vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices for a period of time - easy peasy!As for a wine to pair with this delicious dish, I highly recommend the 2014 Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc from France's Rhone valley. Made from a mixture of classic Rhone grapes including Viognier, Marsanne, Picpoul de Pinet and Clairette, this medium-bodied white wine matches the weight of the fish beautifully and further complements it with bright, enticing notes of lemon, green apple, ginger and a hint of fennel. For around $20 a bottle this gem is a tremendous value for the price and is definitely worth seeking out.I hope you enjoy our latest "Fast & Fabulous" recipe and wine pairing. To view previous installments of this segment, please click here.Bon appétit, "Roasted Halibut with Fennel & Dill Salad"Serves 41 1/2 lbs. halibut fillet1 Tablespoon sugar1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar1/2 cup dry white wine1 teaspoon caraway seeds6 thinly sliced garlic cloves1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise1/2 cup dill fronds1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juiceGood olive oilKosher salt & freshly ground black pepperFor the fennel and dill salad:1.) In a medium sized saucepan, bring rice vinegar, white wine and 1/2 cup of water to a simmer over med-high heat. Stir in sugar, Kosher salt, caraway seeds and continue stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved.2.) Remove from heat and add the sliced garlic cloves and let sit for 20-30 minutes, until garlic is softened.3.) Add half of the sliced fennel to the mixture and toss well to coat. Let fennel marinate until it is slightly softened, 8-10 minutes.For the fish:1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.2.) Place halibut fillet in a glass baking dish and coat with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.3.) Roast fish until it is cooked through and easily flakes apart, approximately 18-20 minutes.Assemblage:4.) Drain liquid from fennel mixture and toss in a small bowl with 4 Tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Add remaining sliced fennel and dill fronds to the mixture and season to taste with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.5.) Serve fish topped with the fennel salad and a glass of the Cotes du Rhone Blanc.