Tender vegetables simmered in stock and cream make the perfect pairing for crispy pan seared halibut.

This simple vegetable stew is a Nova Scotian tradition found in nearly every Maritime kitchen.  The recipe lends itself to tinkering to accommodate personal tastes as well as the produce of the season.

Ingredients

Maritime Hodge Podge

• One pound of baby new potatoes

• One pound of green beans, trimmed

• One pound of baby carrots, peeled and trimmed

• One pound of pearl onions, peeled

• Two cups of baby peas

• Two cups of fresh summer corn

• One pint of heavy whipping cream

• One quart of vegetable stock

• Two tablespoons of butter

• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Pan Seared Halibut

• Six, four-ounce halibut filets

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• One lemon, thinly sliced

• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Maritime Hodge Podge

Add potatoes, carrots, onions to a medium sauce pan and add just enough stock to cover. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.  Add green beans, corn and peas and cook for a few minutes more until the vegetables are tender.  Drain all but 1/2 cup of stock from the pot.  Add butter and cream and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley before serving.  Serve alone as a side, or as a main dish topped when topped with pan seared halibut.

Pan Seared Halibut

Top halibut filets with lemon slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on high.  Add the halibut and sear for approximately three minutes on each side.  Reduce the heat and cook on medium until the flesh is just barely opaque (approximately two or three minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet).  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve over Maritime Hodge Podge.