• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Good Hearted Woman logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Comfort Food
    • Cooking Basics
    • Condiments
    • German Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Sourdough
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
    • 30-Minute Meals
  • Cozy Living
    • Arts & Crafts
    • For Music Lovers
    • Food Holidays
  • US Travel
    • One Day in...
    • Pacific
    • Rocky Mountains
    • Southwest
    • The South
    • Hikes Near & Far
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cozy Living
  • Road Trips
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cozy Living
    • Road Trips
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Seafood

    Grilled Halibut over Greens

    May 6, 2016 • Updated: January 25, 2022 • by Renée • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Chef Steve Debaste, of the New Leaf Café on Orcas Island, generously shares his recipe for "Grilled Halibut and Local Salad Greens with Verjus and White Truffle Vinaigrette" | The Good Hearted Woman

    Chef Steve Debaste, of the New Leaf Café on Orcas Island, shares his recipe for Grilled Halibut, served over local salad greens with a verjus white truffle vinaigrette.

    Grilled halibut with crosshatched grill marks, garnished with pine nuts, atop mashed potatoes.
    Image Credit: Chef Steve Debaste

    When Seattle native Chef Steve Debaste was hired on in 2010 as Chef at Orcas Island's New Leaf Café, he already had quite an impressive resume.

    Small portrait of Chef Steve Debaste, New Leaf Cafe, Orcas Island.

    Chef Debaste began his career as the Chef at the Creperie de Touraine in Honolulu. After some years, he returned to Seattle, where his positions included Chef of the nationally recognized 1904 Restaurant and Wine Bar, District and Executive Chef at Microsoft, and Executive Chef for Guckenheimer. He was recognized as the Pacific Northwest Chef of the Year in 2006.

    Since his arrival at the New Leaf Café, Chef Debaste has developed a creative menu, inspired by and designed around locally sourced ingredients and products. His recipe for Grilled Halibut, served over local salad greens with a verjus white truffle vinaigrette, is no exception.

    This recipe may sound fancy, but it is actually quite easy to prepare. 

    Halibut season begins in early May in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is halibut a delicious fish to eat, but it provides many health benefits as well. A 6-ounce halibut fillet as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, and is loaded with phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, selenium and vitamins B6 and B12.

    What is Verjus?

    (I have to admit that until Chef Debaste sent this recipe to me, I had never heard of verjus. In case it is new to you too, here's what I learned.)

    Verjus is a tart, fresh non-alcoholic juice pressed from unripe wine grapes – essentially a very young white wine without the alcohol. Verjus, which takes its name from the French term vert jus, which literally means “green juice,” is a culinary ingredient most often used in sauce making. Verjus is available in gourmet food stores, or directly from producers.

    If you don’t happen to have any verjus sitting around your kitchen, try using a very astringent white wine.

    Is there a substitute for White truffle oil?

    Not really, but if you don't have any and don't want to pop for a bottle (it's expensive!) you can use a fresh and flavorful extra virgin olive oil. To achieve the musty mushroom flavor that truffle oil imparts, you can also use a little truffle salt in place of regular salt when you season the dish.

    Truffle salt can be made at home by pulsing together a little porcini mushroom powder (or any dried mushroom from the store) and salt.

    You might also enjoy these delicious seafood recipes:

    • Honey Ginger Glazed Salmon
    • Pan-Seared Sturgeon with Chanterelles & Baby Yukons
    • Spicy Pan-fried Blackened Rockfish
    • Korean-style Pan Fried Fish (Saeng Sun Jun)
    Chef Steve Debaste, of the New Leaf Café on Orcas Island, generously shares his recipe for "Grilled Halibut and Local Salad Greens with Verjus and White Truffle Vinaigrette" | The Good Hearted Woman

    Grilled Halibut over Greens with Verjus White Truffle Vinaigrette

    Chef Steve Debaste, of the New Leaf Café on Orcas Island, shares his recipe for Grilled Halibut, served over local salad greens with a verjus white truffle vinaigrette.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Pacific Northwest
    Prep Time:15 minutes
    Cook Time:15 minutes
    Total Time:30 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 409kcal
    Author: Renee

    Ingredients

    • 4 6 oz. Fresh Halibut Filets
    • 8 oz local salad greens
    • 2 tablespoons melted butter
    • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
    • 4 cups creamy mashed potatoes
    • Salt & Pepper
    Verjus Vinaigrette
    • 3 shallots
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ¾ cup Mt Baker Vineyards Verjus
    • 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon French Dijon mustard
    • 1 ½ cups Canola-Olive oil blend
    • ½ cup white truffle oil
    • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley chopped
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Season the Halibut with Salt and Pepper and Grill until your desired doneness.
    • Gently toss the salad greens in enough vinaigrette to coat the greens.
    • Plate 1 cup of mashed potatoes in the center of your dinner plate.
    • Place the dressed greens on the mashed potatoes.
    • Place the Grilled Halibut on the Salad greens and brush with melted butter.
    • Garnish the plate with a circle of vinaigrette around the potatoes. Garnish the Halibut with pine nuts and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

    Verjus Vinaigrette

    • Process all Vinaigrette ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

    Notes

    Nutritional Information (including calories counts) for this recipe does not include the Verjus Vinaigrette. 

    Verjus Vinaigrette
    Chef Debaste's Vinaigrette recipe makes A LOT of vinaigrette! Because it isn't my recipe, I didn't reduce the amounts here, but keep that in mind. A third of the Verjus Vinaigrette recipe is plenty for six servings. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 1753mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 939IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    More Orcas Island Dining & Travel

    • New Leaf Café (Orcas Island, WA)
    • Spring Getaway to Orcas Island
    • Deer Harbor Inn & Restaurant (Orcas Island)
    • The Best Kept Secret on Orcas Island (San Juan Islands, WA)

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    « New Leaf Café (Orcas Island, WA)
    Oven-Roasted Garlic Spears (Garlic Scapes) »
    695 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard

    About Renée

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rosie from Blog To Taste says

      May 08, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Oh Yum! And what a perfect recipe for the weather we are having. I had never heard of verjus either, sounds neat though, and now I will be on the lookout for it. And thanks for the tip about truffle salt. I LOVE everything truffle flavored, and yes it is all expensive, so an easy truffle flavoring sounds perfect!

      Reply
    2. Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says

      May 06, 2016 at 8:54 pm

      Ooh I am just excited to make this so I can tell people that I've made a Verjus White Truffle Vinaigrette! Sounds so fancy! 🙂 I actually do have a bottle of white truffle oil that someone gave me for Christmas and I haven't used it yet. This could be a great opportunity to enjoy it! And the dish really does look spectacular and sounds delicious.

      Reply
    3. Carol Borchardt says

      May 06, 2016 at 4:14 pm

      LOVE halibut and would you believe I've got verjus in my pantry? This sounds AHHHH-mazing!!!!!

      Reply
    4. Leah says

      May 06, 2016 at 2:52 pm

      Yum! Halibut us one of my favs. Side note: I recently spied white truffle oil at Costco for a very reasonable price!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        May 06, 2016 at 3:01 pm

        Thanks so much for the heads up, Leah! I will have to run over and get some.

        Reply
    5. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

      May 06, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      I'd never heard of verjus either! I'm always glad when recipes include an alternative when they call for an obscure ingredient. 🙂

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        May 06, 2016 at 2:41 pm

        Me too! In fact, I have a recipe coming up soon that I'm doing a pre-post for so that you can make the ingredient it calls for at home. (Mostly because this specialty item costs about $14 in the store, and I can make twice as much at home in about 10 minutes for less than $3.)

        Reply
    6. Pech says

      May 06, 2016 at 11:50 am

      I'm super hungry for lunch now! Thanks for sharing the recipe - I don't know if I'll be drawing a circle with vinaigrette anytime soon, but it's a nice presentation touch!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        May 06, 2016 at 12:33 pm

        You made me laugh, Pech!

        Reply
    7. Brettni Brumfield says

      May 06, 2016 at 11:13 am

      Pinning this one. I need as many fish recipes and I can get. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        May 06, 2016 at 11:26 am

        I am the same way with fish recipes, Brettni. It's the only non-plant protein everyone in our house will eat, so we prepare a lot of it.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Adorable middle-aged couple in forest setting. (i.e., Me & Mr B)

    Join me & Mr B for the best in home cooking and cozy living - from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and beyond.

    More about us →

    Follow Us

    BBq & Potluck Favorites

    • Honey Citrus Pasta Salad with Turkey
    • Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzadiki Sauce
    • Sweet & Spicy Grilled Buffalo Wings
    • Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad

    Fresh Spring Flavors

    • Caribbean Mango Salad
    • Ginger Chili Deviled Eggs
    • Easy Rice Pilaf with Asparagus & Cashews
    • California Quinoa Salad with Piña Colada Dressing

    Soup & Salad

    • Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad (Applebee's Copycat Recipe)
    • Classic French Onion Soup
    • Smoked Salmon Chowder (with Leeks & Fresh Tarragon)
    • Armenian-style Eggplant & Carrot Salad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Statement
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Statement

    Follow

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Meet Me & Mr B

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 The Good Hearted Woman. All rights reserved.

    695 shares
    695 shares