Coconut Poached Alaska Halibut With Mango-Avocado Salsa

We all have those nights when we can barely muster the energy to cook, or we forgot to take something out from the freezer to defrost in time. But rather than order takeout, heat up a sad frozen pizza, or—worse—try to quickly and unsafely defrost something, we’ve got a trick up our sleeves: frozen fish.

That’s right, fish straight out of the freezer is our secret to a delicious, quick meal come weeknight or weekend. All you need to do is add a few extra minutes of cooking time and you’ve got yourself a no-brainer dinner that saves the day.

Here, frozen wild Alaska halibut is poached in an aromatic coconut milk broth, flavored with onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a dash of soy sauce and apple cider vinegar, for just the right hit of umami and acid, respectively. Served with jasmine rice and a vibrant mango-avocado salsa, it’s a delicious and versatile meal that is ready in just 30 minutes.

If you want to get even more nutrients into your meal, throw a big handful of greens into the poaching liquid just after you remove the fish. Cook until just wilted, and serve with everything else.

You can also get quite a bit of mileage out of this meal. Besides drizzling the poaching liquid over the fish and rice, it is so delicious that you can reheat it and transform it into soup for lunch or dinner the next day. Add leftover halibut or Alaska cod, mushrooms or other veggies, rice noodles, or anything else that suits your fancy, and slurp on the bounty of your minimal efforts.

Of course, the quality of this meal depends almost entirely on the quality of the fish you use. We rely on frozen wild Alaska seafood to consistently deliver the freshest, highest quality fish available. We love knowing that the fish have been sustainably caught and our purchase supports generations of fishing families.

Coconut Poached Alaska Halibut With Mango-Avocado Salsa

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the coconut-poached halibut:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup diced yellow onion (1 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 ounce)
2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) frozen Alaska halibut fillets
3 cups spinach (optional)

For the mango-avocado salsa:
1 cup diced mango (from 1 mango)
3/4 cup diced avocado (from 1 avocado)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving (about 1⁄2 cup per person)

Instructions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook until everything is aromatic and the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Run frozen Alaska halibut fillets under cold water to remove any ice glaze and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Pour in the coconut milk, soy sauce, salt, and vinegar, and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, add the halibut, and reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook until halibut is just cooked through and opaque, about 10-12 minutes depending on thickness and doneness. Halibut should be opaque and flake easily with a fork. Carefully transfer halibut to a plate.

3. If you like, you can keep the heat on and throw in 3 cups of spinach or other leafy greens (like bok choy or chard though times may vary a tad with heartier greens) into the poaching liquid. Using tongs, mix until just wilted (about 2 minutes), then remove.

4. While the halibut is poaching, mix together the mango, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt to taste. If you like a little heat you can add a pinch of cayenne as well.

5. Serve poached halibut over steamed jasmine rice. Spoon some of the poaching liquid on top, then top with mango-avocado salsa.

Looking for more ways to cook your Alaska seafood from frozen? Try our pan-searing, air-frying, and roasting methods.