Pan Seared Wild Pacific Halibut w/ Poblano Cream Sauce

This evening I was finally got a chance to prepare my halibut for dinner (it was still frozen solid last night so I made Pizza Style Skillet Chicken instead). Wild Pacific halibut is one of my favorite kinds of fish (besides wild Alaskan Copper River Salmon). It's a mild tasting solid piece of fish and is delicious simply pan seared in butter or olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper. It also takes well to any type of sauce. I wanted to change it up a bit and make a new sauce this evening. As I poked around my fridge I came across a Poblano pepper...and my mind instantly began thinking "Poblano Cream Sauce". If you've never had Poblano peppers before, they have a tiny bit of heat but are pretty mild overall with a nice flavor. I actually prefer them to regular green bell peppers. The sauce turned out absolutely delicious. It added a delicate Mexican-ish flavor without overpowering the halibut which is important because you don't want to compete with its delicate flavor. The halibut itself only takes 6 to 7 minutes total to pan sear and the sauce is easy to make and takes about 15 minutes, most of which is the time that it takes to saute the Poblano peppers until tender. This sauce would go excellent over chicken as well. I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Pan Seared Wild Pacific Halibut w/ Poblano Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

4 4-ounce wild halibut fillets (or other thick meaty white fish), approximately 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 small Poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 green spring onion, thinly sliced
1 ounce "brick style" cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 rounded tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon lime juice (or lemon juice)
1 small diced tomato, optional

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. 

While halibut is cooking, add butter to an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute Poblano peppers and onion until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the cream cheese to skillet, stirring with a spoon or rubber spatula until it begins to melt. Add cream or milk, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking and blending into the cream cheese mixture. Season with salt and cook over low-medium heat just until sauce begins to bubble, stirring frequently. Stir in sour cream and lime juice; taste for seasoning. Serve halibut topped with Poblano Cream Sauce; top with diced tomatoes, if desired.