Crazy Crispy Weeknight Air Fryer Halibut
Crazy Crispy Weeknight Air Fryer Halibut
What is it, Wednesday night? You’ve thawed out some halibut and now you’re trying to decide what to do with it and you don’t really have much time? This is an age-old Alaska conundrum, which in my childhood was usually solved by making Halibut Olympia. Now, in newfangled times, you could try a very quick turn in the air fryer instead. It doesn’t have mayonnaise like the Olympia of yore, but I included a super quick homemade tartar sauce recipe here because it absolutely requires tartar sauce for dipping. Let’s not kid ourselves: Olympia may be retro, but mayo is still halibut’s best friend.
This recipe is a great weeknight option that kids can get into. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish and is healthy compared to the fried alternative. The fish comes out crazy crispy. I usually make it fish and chips style, with frozen fries for speed purposes, but you could make your own oven fries, too. Just remember to start the fries first so everything is ready at the same time.
This recipe will also work in a 400° F oven, but it just won’t get the wild crunch. You can also easily sub in gluten free panko to make the recipe gluten free. And it can also work with cod. Make sure to adjust the cooking time if the fish is quite thin or if you’re working with a big fat piece of halibut. That squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of salt at the end is the chef’s kiss!
Originally published in Edible Alaska Issue No. 24, Summer 2022
