By David Draper

With Spartan accommodations and a small galley, Ninilchik Charters’ 50-foot Sundy would be hard-pressed to get a Michelin rating. However, despite the limitations, we ate pretty well during our recent blacktail deer hunt aboard the seaworthy craft. A dinner of still steaming backstraps was one of the best I’ve ever had, and our first mate Tyler was a wizard with both fish and game, cooking up a fine Halibut Olympia. Below, I’ve taken Tyler’s recipe, which was somewhat limited due to the lack of a pantry on Sundy, and adapted it for home by including a couple of additional ingredients, namely the sliced onions and white wine. Other than, this is a pretty accurate take on what we ate on the boat.

Note: Don’t judge this dish by the thought of slathering a halibut fillet with mayonnaise. It may sound repulsive, but even the mayo-haters on the boat claimed this dish was their favorite of the trip.

Halibut Olympia

Ingredients
-1 halibut fillet (approximately 2 lbs.), skin removed
-1 medium onion, sliced
-¼ cup, plus 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
-¼ cup dry white wine
-½ cup mayonnaise
-1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
-1 cup bread crumbs

Directions
Using a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, make a tray large enough to accommodate your halibut fillet. Be sure to turn up the sides of the tray at least an inch high to hold the melted butter and wine. Coat tray with a light coat of non-stick spray.

Layer the bottom of the tray with the sliced onions and pour over ¼ cup each of the butter and white wine. Place the halibut on top of the onions. Spread a thick coating of mayonnaise over the entire fillet. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Cover everything with bread crumbs and drizzle on the remaining 2 Tbsp. of melted butter.

Place the tinfoil tray over a hot grill and close the lid. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Comments (4)

from Half-of-two wrote 31 weeks 4 days ago

Sometimes I think that the lack of ingredients can be a blessing in disguise. These days, a lot of folks tend to overthink the recipe, which results in over-flavoring. Don't get me wrong, I love a good garlic & rosemary rubbed backstrap, but I want to be able to taste the meat, too. There is a fine line between good flavor and too much flavor...and it comes from trial and error.

Also, the halibut looks great! I'll bet that cheesy bread crumb topping was awesome!

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from Greenhead wrote 31 weeks 4 days ago

Man, I don't get the Alaskan obsession with smothering halibut and salmon with mayo. I've had it, even done it myself, and it is good, but so is halibut and salmon. Why mess with a good thing? To me, its like adding soda to a good single malt. I think I'll pass on this one. Did you also have fish dripping in teriyaki sauce?

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from Half-of-two wrote 31 weeks 3 days ago

Dave, I actually went home and made this last night for dinner, but I had to use tilapia since that's all I had. Still turned out great...my wife even liked it and she's not a big fish fan. I omitted the white wine, but added some crumbled bacon to the topping...outstanding!

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from Hunter_Fass wrote 31 weeks 2 days ago

Did somebody say a good single malt?

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from Greenhead wrote 31 weeks 4 days ago

Man, I don't get the Alaskan obsession with smothering halibut and salmon with mayo. I've had it, even done it myself, and it is good, but so is halibut and salmon. Why mess with a good thing? To me, its like adding soda to a good single malt. I think I'll pass on this one. Did you also have fish dripping in teriyaki sauce?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Hunter_Fass wrote 31 weeks 2 days ago

Did somebody say a good single malt?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Half-of-two wrote 31 weeks 4 days ago

Sometimes I think that the lack of ingredients can be a blessing in disguise. These days, a lot of folks tend to overthink the recipe, which results in over-flavoring. Don't get me wrong, I love a good garlic & rosemary rubbed backstrap, but I want to be able to taste the meat, too. There is a fine line between good flavor and too much flavor...and it comes from trial and error.

Also, the halibut looks great! I'll bet that cheesy bread crumb topping was awesome!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Half-of-two wrote 31 weeks 3 days ago

Dave, I actually went home and made this last night for dinner, but I had to use tilapia since that's all I had. Still turned out great...my wife even liked it and she's not a big fish fan. I omitted the white wine, but added some crumbled bacon to the topping...outstanding!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.