Steamed Halibut w/ Fried Ginger

I am pleased to announce that I managed to obtain a B in Organic Chemistry. You might say to yourself "Well why didn't you get an A?"... and the answer is, seriously? You try getting an A in Organic Chemistry AND still having a social life. Hehe, either way, I'm happy with it and I'm happy that summer has officially started.

I'm also happy to announce that Dan and Nick over at Foodie Fights asked me to be this week's judge. So if you haven't yet, check out the site and sign up (if you're in that creative mood) for this week's battle: Battle Tequila/Avocado. Or if you're scared of those ingredients (or just don't have the time to cook this weekend, vote for your fave on Tuesday!

Ingredients:
Adapted from The Bitten Word's blog

1 piece of ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced (white part discarded)
2 6 oz. halibut fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
4 teaspoons sesame oil
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons sunflower oil

Set up a bamboo steamer over a pot of simmering water over medium heat.

Crush half of the ginger sticks with the flat side of a chef's knife and place on a plate small enough to fit inside steamer. Add garlic slices and scallions.

Score the skin on the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Place halibut, skin side up, on the plate and top with 2 teaspoons sesame oil and pinch of sugar.

Place plate in steamer and before covering, top halibut with soy sauce and sherry.

Cover steamer and cook until halibut is white throughout, about 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness. Remove plate carefully and set aside.

To fry ginger, in a small skillet, add remaining sesame oil and sunflower oil. Add remaining ginger sticks and fry until starting to brown.

To plate, serve with brown rice and steamed vegetables (I chose to use snap peas). Top halibut with ginger oil and browned ginger sticks.

This was elegant and delicious. I'm still a fan of a nice crispy skin on a fish, but the steaming method really gave it an added moisture that you often lose with simply frying. And not to mention it was definitely healthier for you! Enjoy!