today, i am throwing some new cooking methods your way!
and with those methods we’re whipping up a super simple dish that looks + tastes much fancier than it is!
the dish is a halibut + herbed butter hobo pack. sounds fun doesn’t it!?
not only is this a fun dish but afterwards you’re going to be ready to film your audition tape for the next food network star, that’s how much kitchen confidence you’ll be exuding. so let’s get the explaining started so you can start rolling your tape. . .
first method up: we have the classic butter log. butter is delicious. guess what makes it even more delicious? herbs! spices! salt!
so for your first step of this recipe you’re going to pull out your food processor {i have this tiny little guy!} + mix up fresh herbs with a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper + unsalted softened butter. voila! herbs + butter = herbed butter! told ya it was simple!
after mixing it up, you plop {that’s an ugly word isn’t it? but it makes me giggle so it’s stayin’} the herbed butter right onto a piece of plastic wrap + you’re going to form it into a log! {melvin has a video tutorial for you down at the bottom of the page} once you have your herbed butter in log form, you simply let it setup in the freezer for ten minutes! voila! herbed butter log!
herbed butter logs are amazing to keep on hand for an instant flavor boost to any meal! toss a pad of it on top of a grilled steak or use the butter as an appetizer with some bakery fresh bread for last minute guests! herbed butter is also an awesome way to stretch fresh ingredients.
say you have some fresh herbs in the fridge that are on their way to dead town.. chop ‘em up, mix ‘em with some salt + some softened butter, roll it up + freeze it! you can do the same with fresh garlic, chopped shallot or even some spicy chiles – you’re the boss of the butter sauce!
once the log is rolled up, they will keep in the freezer for up to a month, the hardest part will be remembering that you have that little hidden gem in your freezer door. {where my fellow ADD homies at?}
next method up: the hobo pack. hobo pack is just one of the fun ways to say ‘food wrapped in foil + cooked.’ basically you take a few ingredients of your choice, strategically layer them on top of a piece of foil, fold up the sides to form a closed packet + cook it!
while the ease of putting a hobo pack together is what allures cooks to it, this method is also praised because it’s a breeze for cleanup! {repeat after me: crumple up the foil. place in garbage.}
so now that you’ve gained TWO new cooking methods, let’s put your knowledge to the test + combine ‘em with some super fresh spring ingredients!
halibut + herbed butter hobo pack: for our herbed butter log, we use tarragon + chives – two herbs that lend well to white fish.
once the butter is made up, we are going to mound up a combination of sweet corn + shiitake mushrooms on the foil first, top it with a pad of our herbed butter, then lay down a delicate halibut filet + finish it off with one more kiss of the herbed butter.
after just 15 minutes in the oven, the herbed butter will create a beautiful sauce + you will plate an aromatic fish dish that will make you think you’re in five star restaurant. . and those yoga pants you’re wearing are totally on the dress code!
- 4 boneless skinless halibut fillets, 6 ounces each
- 2 ears of sweet corn, kernels cut from the cobs
- 5oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup chives
- 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
- 8 baguette slices, cut on the ¼ inch diagonal
- in a food processor, pulse the chives, tarragon + butter until smooth.
- season your butter mixture with salt + pepper. pulse until a bright green color is achieved.
- lay down a sheet of plastic wrap + transfer the herb butter, forming into a log.
- freeze for 10 minutes, until the butter is slightly firm.
- cut the butter into 16 pads
- preheat your oven to 375º
- arrange four 12-inch sheets of foil on a work surface + spray evenly with cooking oil spray.
- in a medium bowl, toss the corn with the shiitake + season with salt + pepper.
- mound the mixture in the center of the foil sheets + top each mound with a pad of the herb butter.
- then lay the halibut fillets down + top the halibut with another pad of the herb butter.
- fold up the foil on all sides + pinch the seams to seal.
- place the foil packets onto a sheet pan + cook for 16 minutes
- meanwhile, heat up a grill pan + grill the baguette slices until slightly charred on both sides.
- top baguette slices with the remaining herb butter, allowing it to melt.
- open the halibut hobo packs. plate the fish + vegetables with the buttered baguette toasts on the side.
- enjoy!
here is a video tutorial on how to roll a butter log!
these hobo packs are also grill friendly! follow all of the same instructions, just simply toss your foil packs onto a high heat grill -with the lid closed- for 8-10 minutes. after taking them off the grill, let the packs rest for 2 minutes to finish cooking!
serve with a lively sauvignon blanc.
there are a few ways to cut calories here, with the most obvious being to omit the grilled baguettes with herbed butter all together. BUT i must warn you, these few bites of charred goodness might be my favorite part of the dish! so i would suggest to only put 1 herbed butter pad in the foil pack {on top of the filet} + split 1 herbed butter pad among your two baguette slices – this will cut 200 calories! then you can have your cake + eat it too!
i know there are a lot of mushroom haters out there, so my suggestion for a swap would be to choose a veggie with soaking power! soaking power, you ask? the lovely thing about the mushrooms in this recipe is the earthy taste they lend as well as the flavor they take on when they sop up all of the melted herbed butter.. so i would try thinly sliced + skinned squash for a replacement! let me know in the comments if you swap + love something!
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