Thai-Inspired Halibut Recipe by Eitan Bernath
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC VITALE
With the chef: Eitan Bernath
Eitan Bernath is an award-winning chef, content creator, author, TV personality, entertainer, and social justice activist, best known to millions of fans for his viral culinary and lifestyle content. After we invited him to tour FreshDirect’s headquarters, the idea for a collaborative dinner featuring our freshly-caught seafood was born.
One night in May, Eitan hosted us and a group of fellow food lovers for a dinner party at his Manhattan apartment. With a coastal theme to the menu, every dish evoked the bounty of the sea, setting the tone for a easy-breezy summer to come.
"The name FreshDirect is very literal. The food is truly at its peak freshness. They know exactly how much food should come into the warehouse every day and then go right out to you, so there’s no food sitting on shelves like at a normal grocery store.
This dinner highlighted the beautiful seafood available on freshdirect.com, and it was such a fun night having friends over to enjoy all of the incredible, delicious food FreshDirect has to offer."
—Eitan Bernath
Recipe: Thai-Inspired Coconut-Poached Halibut
For the main course, Eitan served flaky, tender halibut in a coconut broth with aromatics. It struck just the right tone for an elevated dinner party, but is simple enough that you can make it for dinner during the week.
SERVES: 4
What you’ll need:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 Thai chili, sliced
2 heads baby bok choy
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup seafood broth
2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Four 4 oz halibut fillets
Jasmine rice for serving
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chili crisp
Zest and juice from 1 lime
What to do:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add coconut oil. Once melted, add onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, for 3-4 minutes,. Add garlic, ginger, and Thai chili. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on edges, another 2-3 minutes. Add baby bok choy, then cook until wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Add coconut milk, fish broth, curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar into the pan. Stir to fully combine, then simmer over medium-low heat until reduced, about 10 minutes.
Lower the heat, then nestle the halibut fillets into the coconut milk mixture. Cover and simmer until the fish is cooked through, for 6-8 minutes.
Add cooked jasmine rice to four serving bowls. Carefully place each halibut fillet on top of the rice. Ladle some of the broth and vegetables over the halibut fillets. Garnish with scallions, chili crisp, lime juice and zest. Serve immediately.
