Mayonnaise Halibut with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Featured: Pacific Halibut

Jennifer Burns Bright, Local Food Educator and Travel Writer

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

  • 2 pounds of halibut, cut into serving-size pieces
  • Juice and zest from half a large lemon
  • 2 tablespoons minced white onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking half-sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
  • In a bowl, sprinkle halibut pieces liberally with salt, pepper and half of the lemon juice, then set aside while preparing the crumbs.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion and ½ t. sea salt, and cook until translucent. Add Panko and cook until toasty brown.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
  • Whisk together mayonnaise, egg yolk, the rest of the lemon juice and zest, and a little salt and pepper. Pat fish dry with a paper towel.
  • Coat fish pieces with mayonnaise mixture, then place on baking sheet. Press crumbs into tops and sides of fillets, mounding some on top.
  • Bake fish until centers are solid white but not flaky and dry (or fish registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 30-40 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking. If crumbs don’t look dark enough, broil for a few seconds at the end of cooking.

Notes

  • With its surprising marinade, this is an old-school Oregon Coast favorite with a twist. Mayo halibut was named over and over again as a home cook favorite in my statewide Oregon Humanities Conversation Project, “Fish Tales: Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon,” discussions.