Deck on Quick Meals - Halibut Fishsticks

When I started this blog, I was thinking it would combine the joy of cooking with my dining out experiences, wrapped up as a love of food.  But, I'm realizing I forgot one aspect, cooking for busy professionals.  On days that I get home at 6:30 or 7:00, I can do a lot of different things, try making new dishes, things like that.  But on nights like tonight where I end up getting home around 8:30, it's a little more difficult to do a lot of cooking.  Instead, I have to come up with something quick, easy, and delicious.  It's just a different type of cooking.  And I realize, I've had a few of these posts pop up, so I should run with it.  Hence the new header "Deck on Quick Meals".

When I had gone shopping at Whole Foods, the first halibut of the season had come in, so I ended up buying a small filet.  Halibut is also one of those meats that I very rarely freeze because the flavor is just so fantastic when it's fresh (steak is the other...I never freeze steak).  So, I spent the day trying to figure out what I could make that would be quick and easy.  I should probably note that baking a halibut filet doesn't take that long, but I was considering different marinades and knew I wouldn't have time for those, and excuse after excuse.  

Anyway, I ended up deciding on halibut fish sticks.  They are easy and usually delicious.  You simply take a bunch of saltines, put them in a zip lock bag, and crumble them up into fine crumbs.  It's like a poor man's panko.  Then you take the halibut, dip in a little flour with a dash of seasoned salt, then egg wash, then cracker crumbs.  I ended up electing to heat some canola oil to cook the fish sticks in, rather than vegetable or EVOO (which is what I usually use, until I get a small fryer anyway).

To accompany the fish sticks, I made a little garlic/mayo sauce.  It was chopped fresh garlic that I ended up squishing into almost a paste form, chopped cilantro, fresh lemon juice, mayo, and some honey.  I meant to put in black pepper, but got distracted and forgot.  Then we had some sticky white rice which is an absolute staple in our household, and some green beans.

Overall, I think it turned out ok.  The sauce was good.  I'll definitely put the black pepper in next time, and maybe a little less honey.  The problem was the canola oil.  When the sauce was drizzled over the fish, I didn't notice as much, but it definitely left an unpleasant taste on the fish.  I'm not sure if it was because the canola oil is older, or because it's cheap canola oil.

The fish stick idea is still good for a quick, relatively healthy meal.  But it's important to take into consideration the flavor of the oil that you use to cook it in, and how the fish stick absorbs the oil.  I think that going forward, I will continue to use EVOO because even if some of the flavor is present, it is much more pleasing.   Then if I get a small fryer (it's on the registry!!!) I will probably use peanut or vegetable oil.  Of course, if I get a fryer, I can start experimenting with batters...Halibut fish and chips anyone?