If you are looking for a superbly elegant, gentle dish, look no further. In a long line of meats and seafood grilled after they have been marinated very simply in a paste of fresh ginger, garlic, and chilies, this dish is a great family favorite. Have the fishmonger remove the halibut skin. I like to serve this with Karhai Broccoli and a potato or rice dish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　One 1 1/4-pound section of skinned halibut fillet, 3/4–1 inch thick (salmon or swordfish may be used instead)

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　2 cloves garlic, mashed in a garlic press

　　1 tablespoon lemon juice

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more, if you prefer

　　1 tablespoon rice flour (use white flour as a substitute)

　　4 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　

Step 1

Cut the halibut into 4 segments. Rub the salt and turmeric all over and set aside for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, combine the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix. After the fish has sat in the salt mixture for 20 minutes, rub the ginger mixture on all sides, patting it in, then cover and refrigerate 20–30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 4

Dust the top and bottom of the marinade-covered fish pieces with the rice flour and pat it in.

　　

Step 5

Line a small baking tray with foil. Set aside.

　　

Step 6

Put the oil on a nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the fish pieces in a single layer, with one of the rice flour–covered sides down. Let that side brown, about a minute, and then turn to brown the opposite side. Once that has happened, remove fish pieces carefully to the baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until just cooked through.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.