Springtime in Paris and simple white fish

On a recent trip to Paris, I was invited to have Sunday lunch with an ambassador and his charming wife in their splendidly gilded residence on the rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré. We spent a warm spring afternoon dining on the wide back terrace of the house. The terrace overlooked a small but elegant city garden shaded by a trio of old chestnut trees in full bloom. Beyond the back garden wall, we could hear someone lazily playing a guitar.

For lunch, we started with half a sweet, juicy cantaloupe, followed by a delicious but simple grilled filet of white fish topped with a pungent Provençal-style pesto sauce and accompanied by a silky green heap of fresh steamed spinach. We finished with more slices of cantaloupe and plate of tiny assorted pastries. While we talked, the ambassador’s wife discretely sketched our table scene in a small notebook beside her plate.

The whole dining experience struck me as what non-Parisians imagine dining in Paris to be – relaxed but elegant. Simple but classic. The menu – planned around fresh, readily available ingredients – also reminded me that food can be both sophisticated and delicious without a lot of preparation and fuss.

Back in Canada, I wondered why I didn’t make simple white fish more often for lunch – especially when fresh, thick filets of halibut were beginning to appear in local markets.

I decided to re-create a bit of Paris for myself by combining a recipe from one of my most trusted cookbooks, Anne Lindsay’s New Light Cooking, and a recipe for classic basil coulis I learned to make from Vancouver-based chef Eric Arrouzé.


Halibut with Basil Coulis
1 6-oz halibut filet (or any white fish that has been responsibly caught)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 Roma tomato roughly chopped (optional)
1 green onion sliced on the diagonal (optional)
1-2 tbsp basil coulis

Basil Coulis
1 large bunch of fresh basil

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and germ removed

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the fish:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place filet on piece of aluminum foil. Pour lemon juice and oil over the filet (along with the tomato and onion if you are including them) and add salt and pepper to taste. Fold foil up loosely and seal tightly. Place packet on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes – depending on the thickness of the filet. Fish should flake easily when done.

To make the basil coulis:

Remove stems from basil leaves and place in a blender along with the garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Blend until the basil is completely liquefied and the oil turns bright green.

Note: any coulis you don’t use can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.

To serve, remove filet from foil packet and spoon basil coulis, to your taste, over the top.