Southwestern Cotija Crusted Halibut With Salsa Fresca

Prepare the Hatch Chile Tomatillo Salsa

Shell the tomatillos and peel the onion and garlic. Wash all the fresh produce.

Core the tomatillos. Dice by hand or in a food processor. Add to a medium sized bowl.

Cut the top off of the hatch chiles and seed them. Dice by hand or in a food processor. Add to the medium sized bowl.

Cut the top off of the red bell pepper and seed it. Dice by hand or in a food processor. Add to the medium sized bowl.

Dice the peeled red onion half by hand or in a food processor. Add to the medium sized bowl.

Dice the four garlic cloves by hand or in a food processor. Add to the medium sized bowl.

Pick ½ cups worth of cilantro leaves. Dice by hand or in a food processor. Add to the medium sized bowl.

Add the juice of one lime to the medium sized bowl. Stir everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the Southwestern Cotija Crusted Halibut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pat the halibut fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides generously with kosher salt.

Add the flour to a plate.

On a second plate, crack the egg and whisk it.

On a third plate, add the panko bread crumbs, cotija cheese and lime zest. Mix together.

Add the oil to a cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Dredge the top of each halibut filet in the flour and shake off any excess flour. Next, dip the flour-coated side of the halibut into the egg. Finally, gently press the prepared halibut into the cotija mixture. Repeat with remaining fillets.

When oil is heated, add halibut filets to the skillet crust side down. Cook until crust is golden, about 2-4 minutes, then flip over. Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake until cooked through, approximately 5-8 minutes.

For serving

Spoon a layer of hatch chile tomatillo salsa onto four dinner plates. Place a cotija crusted halibut with the crust side up in the center of each plate on top of the salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.