Phyllo Wrapped Halibut

This gorgeous presentation of a phyllo pastry wrapped fish is actually so easy and a great way to ensure the fish stays juicy while cooking.  If you were to present this to dinner guests, I think they'd be blown away with how something so fancy looking could actually be so easy.  Crispy, golden phyllo encasing the lovely, succulent fish makes for a wonderful bite.

TIM & MY BONUS SON JAKE ARE 2ND &3RD FROM THE RIGHT WITH THEIR CATCH OF THE DAY

Tim went on a fishing expedition out of Seward while there and we ended up with our garage freezer full of wonderful, wild caught Alaskan fish from salmon and rock fish to cod and of course, halibut.  I spent the next several months finding new and different ways to use all that bounty of the sea and was excited when I finally got to make and enjoy this phyllo wrapped halibut.

I KEEP THIS IN MY FREEZER AT ALL TIMES. IT'S PERFECT FOR MAKING APPETIZERS, DESSERTS AND MY FAVORITE SPINACH PIE, SPANAKOPITA

Phyllo - If you're not familiar with phyllo pastry, it's a super thin, middle eastern pastry that you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store, typically hovering near the fringe of the dessert section.  If you've ever had baklava with it's buttery layers, that's phyllo put to good use.  Ideally you want to let the package thaw a day or overnight in the fridge before you use it.  You can't work with frozen phyllo.  I've even tried to microwave it a bit to hasten the thaw.  Don't do that!  It didn't work in the slightest.

SIMPLE VEG & A CHILI. KEEPIN' IT EASY FOR THIS MASTERPIECE

I actually saw this intriguing preparation on a menu when we were in Alaska, but there were so many wonderful dishes I wanted to try when we were there that I never got around to this particular one.

ONCE THE ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT, WE'LL LET THIS COOL A BIT BEFORE ADDING TO THE PHYLLO

I kept my version simple with just some basic sauted vegetables in the pastry bundle, but can easily imagine how wonderful a creamed shrimp or crab version might be.  I do think I'll give that a try next time.

MY PHYLLO PACKAGE IS OUT OF THE OVEN AND GOLDEN

THE FISH IS COOKED TO PERFECTION AND THE PHYLLO IS LIGHT AND CRISP

I hope you'll try this technique a try and leave a comment to let us know if you tried any interesting variations, our perhaps even added some shrimp or crab to the top of your halibut package.

Phyllo Wrapped Halibut


1/2 onion, chopped (red or yellow are fine)
1 bell pepper (color of your choice), chopped
1 small red chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 8 ounce piece halibut filet (or other firm white fish)
4 sheets phyllo dough, plus a couple extra sheets for the "shred" on top (thawed from a package overnight in your fridge)
1/2 stick butter melted (I use unsalted butter)
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 425 degrees 


Drizzle olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion , pepper and chili pepper along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5-6  minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic half way through if using. Remove from heat and let cool at least 10 minutes.


Working quickly so the phyllo doesn't dry out, place a sheet a phyllo down on a parchment lined baking sheet (available on our SHOP page).  Brush with melted butter, then proceed with the next 3 sheets, buttering between each layer.  You can place a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel over the phyllo to keep it from drying out if needed.


Spread the cooled vegetables over the phyllo in a rectangle roughly the same size as your piece of fish.  


Place the fish over the veggies then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap the phyllo over the fish in just about any fashion you like, making sure the fish is enclosed.  Think wrapping a birthday present.


For the phyllo shreds you can cut or tear the extra sheets into strips.  My phyllo had actually begun to dry out a bit so it was easy to get the shreds for the top.
Add the shreds of Phyllo in a random fashion on top and pour remaining butter over the package.  
Bake about 20 minutes until the phyllo is golden and the fish is cooked through.
I cut this into 4 squares to serve my waiting guests.  

A light green salad and a wedge of lemon are perfect refreshing pairings for this dish. A crisp white wine to sip alongside only enhances the whole lovely experience.