Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

For the sauce

- 2 cups (2 oz/60 g) firmly packed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup (1/2 oz/15 g) crustless coarse country bread cubes
- 4 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 2/3 cup (5 fl oz/160 ml) extravirgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt
- 4 halibut fillets, each about
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground
- pepper
- Lemon wedges

Salsa verde, or "green sauce", is served with many different types of meat and fish, including bollito misto, an assortment of sliced simmered meats and poultry popular in Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna. Here, the sauce is served with grilled halibut but it is also good with tuna, swordfish, or other flavorful fish steaks. You can make the sauce up to a day in advance and refrigerate it. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

To make the sauce, in a food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, bread cubes, anchovies, and capers. Process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream and process until combined. Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt to taste, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Generously oil the grill rack. Or, preheat a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat and brush generously with oil. Rub the fish steaks on both sides with the olive oil, and then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper

BY GRILL: Arrange the fish steaks over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements. Cook the fish, turning once, until it is opaque throughout when tested with a knife, 5-7 minutes on each side.

BY GRILL PAN: Arrange the fish steaks on the grill pan and cook, turning once, until opaque throughout when tested with a knife, 5-7 minutes on each side.
Transfer the fish to warmed plates and serve at once, accompanied with the sauce and lemon wedges.

Buon appetito !