For the Grill: Smoked Halibut with Sake Sauce

Today we’re featuring a recipe from our Series of Recipes for the Big Green Egg Grill

Alder planks are used to give this halibut its unique smokey flavor. The fish is topped with a shiitake mushroom and sake sauce. Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. Often referred to as rice wine, it is actually a beer, since it is made from grain rather than fruit. This recipe can also be prepared using grilled halibut rather than smoked. Just place the halibut right on the cooking grid to grill and, when done, serve with the sake sauce.

Equipment: Porcelain coated grid, 2 alder planks.  Set the EGG for direct cooking with the porcelain coated grid.  Preheat the EGG to 450 F.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon toasted or cold-pressed sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon white sesame seeds
• ¼ teaspoon black sesame seeds

Sake Sauce

• 3 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup sake
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 (7-ounce) halibut fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

Place the alder planks in a pan, cover with water, and let soak for 1 hour.

Mix the sesame oil and white and black sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the sake sauce, mix the mushrooms, chicken stock, sake, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and jalapeno in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and the flavors have combined.  Add the honey and rice wine vinegar, stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes more. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl, add the water, and stir to dissolve.  Using a whisk, add the cornstarch to the sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened.  Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

Brush 1 side of the alder planks with olive oil and place 2 halibut fillets on the oiled side of each plank. Brush the halibut with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the planks on the grid.  Close the lid of the EGG and grill for 7 to 8 minutes, until the interior of the fish is opaque.  Using a long-handled spatula, transfer the halibut to a plate.

Spoon the sake sauce over the halibut and sprinkle with the sesame mixture.  Top with the scallions and serve immediately.  Serves 4

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Big Green EGG cookbook.