Wild Halibut with Coconut Sauce

1 ½ C. full-fat coconut milk (usually a full can’s worth)

¾ C. fish stock, chicken stock or bottled clam juice

3 T. fresh lime juice

2 T. minced peeled fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp. fish sauce

a little heat: a pinch of crushed red pepper, 1 T. of minced fresh chili pepper or a little Siracha sauce

6 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

6 T. finely chopped green onions, divided

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 wild halibut fillets, about 4-6 oz. each (or mahi-mahi or true cod fillets)

 

Prepare a broiler pan or place a metal rack inside a baking sheet. (You can also grill the fish.) In a large skillet, combine coconut milk, stock, lime juice, ginger, garlic, fish sauce and chili peppers. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until sauce has thickened slightly and equals about 1 C. to 1 ¼ cup, about 10 minutes. If you use a smaller skillet, it will take longer; a larger skillet, less time. Stir in half the cilantro and half the green onions. Season with sea salt and pepper. Position an oven rack on the second level from the top. Preheat broiler to medium or medium-high. Brush each piece of fish all over with 1 T. of sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover sauce to keep warm. Broil fish until it starts to flake and is opaque in center, about 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness of the fish. Divide fish and sauce among 6 plates. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions. Serve. Note: I buy fish stock in the freezer section of Whole Foods. Some markets make it in-house and you might find it frozen in the seafood department or with other frozen stocks in the freezer section.