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To prepare the slaw, toss the cabbage with the salt. Place in a colander. Locate a bowl that will fit nicely into the colander, fill it with water, and set it on top of the cabbage. Set this in the sink. The weight of the bowl of water will help force water from the cabbage, concentrating its flavor.

In a large bowl, mix the grated apple with the mustard seeds, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Give the cabbage a squeeze with those fancy kitchen tools of yours called “hands.” Rinse the salt off the cabbage and squeeze again, getting all the liquid out. Combine the cabbage with the rest of the slaw ingredients and season to taste with salt. Set aside.

To prepare the marinade, combine all of its ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare the halibut, place it in a large pan. Pour the marinade over the fillet and set aside for 20 minutes.

In a grill pan or sauté pan over high heat, add the vegetable oil. Add the halibut, reserving the marinade, and cook until the fish is browned on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the halibut carefully and continue cooking until the fish is thinking about flaking, but not quite yet flaking (see page 102), about 8 minutes per inch of fish (measured at its thickest point). The fish will continue to cook a bit more after you take it from the heat. Transfer the fish to a platter. Add the marinade to the pan (or get out a fresh pan if you grilled the fish) and cook the marinade over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the jalapeños and onions are lightly charred. Then add the marinade back on top of the fish, which, by this point, should be flaking nicely.

Set up the best taco bar you’ve ever seen, with warmed tortillas; bowls of sour cream, guacamole, and red cabbage slaw; the platter of halibut with charred jalapeños and onions; limes; shot glasses filled with good tequila; and beer, lots of beer.

PAIRING: Red Stripe Jamaican lager or tequila.

roasted halibut with radicchio-pancetta sauce, peas, and artichokes

1 pound halibut fillet, skinned,30

cut into 4 equal portions

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon high-heat

vegetable oil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive

oil

2 ounces pancetta, lightly

smoked bacon, or prosciutto,

cut into medium dice

½ cup sliced shallots

¼ pound radicchio, chopped

into bite-size pieces (about 3

cups)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon white wine

vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine or dry

vermouth

1 cup fish stock, clam juice, or

vegetable broth

½ cup frozen, canned, or jarred

artichoke hearts, quartered

(thawed and patted dry, if

using frozen)

½ cup fresh or frozen peas

(thawed if using frozen)

½ lemon

Since halibut comes into season in the spring, it makes sense to pair it with peas and artichokes, two vegetal harbingers of the kinder, gentler season. I love the fact that this is a one-dish dinner—from the stove top to the oven to serving right from the skillet—a weeknight meal that seems fancier than it is. As with all the halibut recipes, really lean on the side of undercooking the fish. You can always cook it for another minute longer if it is not to your liking, but, unless you know something I don’t about the progression of Father Time, a piece of overcooked fish has nowhere to go but more overcooked.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Lightly season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, add the vegetable oil and sear the fillets for 3 minutes, or until they are browned on one side. Transfer them to a plate, and turn the heat down to medium high. Add the olive oil, pancetta, and shallots, and cook until the pancetta starts to crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the radicchio and honey, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the radicchio wilts and caramelizes. Add the white wine vinegar, white wine, and fish stock, stirring to loosen any bits clinging to the skillet. Add the artichokes and peas, stir, then nestle the halibut pieces back in the pan, browned side up. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until