Recipes For Health - Halibut With Cucumbers and Dill

2 medium cucumbers, peeled if waxed, or 1 European seedless cucumber

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds Pacific halibut fillets or sand dabs

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 or 2 shallots, minced (optional)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If using regular cucumbers, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and slice thin. If using a European cucumber, just slice thin. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate the fish fillets in one layer. Cut a piece of parchment the size of the baking dish, and set it aside. Line the baking dish with half of the cucumber slices. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the dill and salt and pepper lightly.

2.Rinse the fish fillets, and pat dry. With the tip of a sharp knife, score them on the diagonal a few times (this prevents them from curling when they cook). Lay on top of the cucumbers. Salt and pepper lightly, and sprinkle on the garlic and shallot. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of the dill, and drizzle on half the lemon juice and the olive oil. Top with the remaining cucumbers. Add the remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle the remaining dill over the top layer of cucumbers. Add the white wine, and cover with the parchment. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until the fish is opaque and pulls apart when stuck with a fork.

3.Remove from the oven, let sit for a few minutes and then serve from the baking dish, spooning some of the liquid from the baking dish over the top.

Yield:Serves four.

Advance preparation:If you wish, you can assemble the dish ahead of time, but don’t add the lemon juice or wine. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for one hour or longer. When ready to bake, add the lemon juice and wine.

Nutritional information per serving:245calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gramsaturated fat; 54 milligramscholesterol; 4 gramscarbohydrates; 1 gramdietary fiber; 95 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 36 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached atmartha-rose-shulman.com.

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