Sandwiches are insanely versatile and are a great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For me, a sandwich is first and foremost about the bread, especially ciabatta. It has a wonderfully soft chewy center and crunchy outer crust that can hold up to anything you serve it with. The next qualifier would be the ingredients to put in between the bread, and they have to have lots of flavor and texture. Let’s be honest and admit deli lunchmeat just doesn’t do it.
This hearty sandwich is an ideal choice for your next winery picnic. Pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy the delicious flavors of the fresh, delicate, grilled fish, the deep richness of the sun-dried tomatoes, the briny capers, and the bright hits from the fresh basil, parsley, and arugula.
Ingredients:
4 halibut fillets
2 cups arugula
2 cloves garlic
1 loaf ciabatta bread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bruschetta style sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Vegetable spray
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest from one lemon
Directions:
1) Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400 degrees.
2) Lightly spray a sheet of aluminum foil with the vegetable spray.
3) Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and place them on the foil. Place the foil on the grill and cook the fish for 5 to 7 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove the fish from the grill and set aside to cool.
4) Slice the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise then cut into individual serving sizes. Brush the open sides of the bread with olive oil and place them on the grill. Toast the bread until light golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the grill and set aside to cool.
5) In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Remove the skin from the fish and flake the filets into pieces. Discard the fish skin and mix the fish into the mayonnaise mixture until thoroughly combined. Do not over mix. You want the fish to be chunky.
6) Distribute the halibut mixture on the bottoms of the ciabatta bread, then top with the fresh arugula and the tops of the bread. Serve immediately.
