Pan-seared halibut with long beans, bean thread noodles, and a coconut citrus sauce.
This is a light summer dish with a hint of spice and lots of fresh basil. The recipe does call for a couple of specialty ingredients that may be hard to find. I have included information on these ingredients and substitutions below.
First, let’s begin with the long beans. Also known as snake beans or asparagus beans, they are a type of legume with a pod that can grow up to 1 1/5 feet in length. The pods and peas are both edible, but they are thick and waxy, requiring a longer cook time. Fresh green beans are the next best thing if you cannot find long beans.
Next are kumquats. Kumquats are not really specialty items, but they can be hard to find. To make this dish without them, use calamansi limes or mandarin orange segments. If these options are also unavailable, use extra lime juice in the sauce and garnish with navel-orange segments.
Finally, we come to the bean thread. Also called cellophane or glass noodles, they are a type of Asian noodle made from mung bean starch and water. The noodles are usually sold dry and do not require the regular cooking method. Instead of boiling the noodles, soak them in hot water to rehydrate, strain, and use. Rice vermicelli noodles are the closest replacement, but any type of rice noodle can be substituted.
Halibut with Warm Bean Thread Salad
Ingredients
Coconut Sauce
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup lime juice 1 lime
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup ginger sliced 2 inch
- 1/4 cup fresno or bird chili chopped
- 1 stem basil
- 6 kumquats sliced
- 3 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Fish
- 4 6 ounce halibut fillets
- 8 ounces bean thread noodles
- 4 cup long beans
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch basil torn for garnish
- 6 kumquats sliced or as needed for garnish
- 1 fresno chili sliced as needed for garnish
Instructions
Coconut Sauce
- Mix all the ingredients in a pot and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pot.
Fish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the bean thread in a bowl. Cut the stem end from the long beans and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Pour some of the boiling water over the bean thread. They should be completely submerged. Wrap the bowl of noodles and set aside. Place the remaing water back on the stove and return to a boil. Add the beans to the water and cook until tender. Strain the beans and shock with ice water to cool. Strain the beans and set aside until ready to use. When the long beans have softened, strain them and add them to the pot with the sauce. Add the long beans to the sauce mix and warm over low heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet with oil over high heat. Pat the fish dry and season with salt. Add the fish to the pan presentation side down. Sear the fish until it has a golden brown color. Turn the fish over and place the pan in the oven. Cook the fish for 5-10 minutes or cooked through.
- Divide the noodles, beans, and sauce between for bowls or plates. Top the noodles with the fish. Garnish with lots of fresh basil, kumquats, and fresnos. Serve immediately.
