Can’t find halibut? You can use any thick hearty white fish for this flavorful dish.

Sometimes you just wanna be fancy. This rich spiced fish is a good dish to do it with. The spices and coconut marry so well, and don’t let either become annoying.

It can be subtle and very elegant. Or served as a larger side on a platter and dressed up with some lime wheels and cilantro.

I have a hard time finding halibut sometimes, but you can use any thick hearty white fish. It might even work with snapper or mahi mahi.

Coconut Sauce

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 ¼ cup coconut milk

1 tbsp fresh diced ginger

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp garam masala

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 half tomato, diced

Juice of one Lime

Salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the ginger, jalapeno and tomato in the oil for a few minutes until they start to lose a bit of color. Add the fennel seeds, then the coconut milk and garam masala. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and stir in the fresh lime juice. Adjust with salt and pepper and keep the sauce warm on the lowest heat.

Sauteed Halibut

1lb halibut cut into fillets

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

Toss the halibut in oil and spices. Then sauté skin side down for five minutes on medium high heat then flip and cook for two to three minutes before serving hot with sauce poured over.

It helps to use a greased nonstick pan, but if you make a visual mistake you can cover it with sauce.

Cilantro Lime Rice

½ cup rice

¾ cup water

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp fresh cilantro

½ tsp salt

Combine everything in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let stand for an additional five minutes before fluffing and serving.

If you’d like, this is also nice with the fish atop the rice and the sauce poured over.

I like a riesling with this, oddly enough, perhaps a Gewurztraminer. If you prefer something a little less sweet, a Pinot Grigio could be nice, but choose a subtle white, whatever you do.

This dish can be overpowered with a robust bottling. Don’t be afraid of the fancy fish and far out flavor. This dish is great for a dinner party or a highbrow luncheon on Super Bowl Sunday.

Joey Schmidt, or ‘JFL,’ is a Certified Sommelier, Bar Menu Consultant, and local Culinary Graduate. He is also the Head Mixologist for 100.5 FM’s Richard Dixon Show and Rated R Cocktails. Listen for him Fridays at 5:30 p.m. and visit his website atRatedrcocktails.com