Spiced Fish with Fennel and Orange Salad

Say hello to your new favorite summer fish dish — Spiced Fish with Fennel and Orange Salad.

In this perfectly bright dish, halibut is simply spiced with just a few ingredients and paired with orange and fennel salad I cannot get enough of. If you haven’t cooked much with fennel, you’re in for a treat. It has a slight anise or licorice flavor and paired with the bright citrus of the orange and the buttery, salty castelvetrano olives this salad is such a winner. Just be sure to slice your fennel bulbs very thinly for best results. I use a mandolin for this, but a good sharp knife and a steady hand will do the trick! 

Overall, this Spiced Fish with Fennel and Orange Salad is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but so elevated for a date night dinner or when hosting this summer. What more could you ask for?

And if you’ve fallen in love with fennel after this recipe, you have to try these two recipes:

Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad

Sausage and Fennel Pizzettes

Spiced Fish with Fennel and Orange Salad

Serves: 4

Print

5 from 4 votes

Total Time45 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the Fennel and Orange Slaw:

• 1 large fennel bulb quartered and very thinly sliced about 3 cups
• 2 tablespoons fennel fronds
• ½ cup pitted and torn castelvetrano olives
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup loosely chopped fresh mint leaves
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium navel oranges peeled and cut into suprêmes (see note)

For the Fish:

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Four 6-ounce filets skinless halibut cod, or other white flaky fish fillets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Make the Slaw:
• In a large bowl, add the fennel slices and fronds, olive oil, champagne vinegar, olives, mint, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Add the orange and gently toss once more. Set aside.
• Prepare the Fish:
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, and oregano Pat the halibut filets dry and season both sides of each fish filet with the spice blend.
• In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish and sear until deep brown crust is formed on both sides and fish is cooked through and flakes easily with fork, about 3 minutes per side
• Serve alongside the slaw and enjoy!

Notes

To make orange segments with no pith or skin, set the peeled orange on a cutting board and use a thin, sharp knife to cut down the sides of the fruit, just through the remaining pith and membranes, to reveal the flesh underneath. Then, remove each segment of orange by cutting along the sides of the segments to release them from the membranes, removing the seeds as you go.