For a romantic dinner for two, make this simple yet elegant and absolutely tasty Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut with capers and brown butter sauce. It's a one-pan dinner that's restaurant quality and simple to make at home!
If you're searching for a recipe for a romantic dinner for two, this Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut with capers and brown butter sauce is a beautiful dish to try. The saltiness of the prosciutto is balanced by the briny tanginess of the capers and the richness of the brown butter sauce.
We love this recipe for so many reasons!
- It's all made in one pan, which makes for simple clean up.
- The ingredients elevate the dish from a basic fish dinner to something truly special.
- Whether you're new to cooking or you've been cooking for decades, this is an simple fish recipe that anyone can make at home.
Kitchen tools and equipment
To make this recipe, you simply need a few pieces of cookware and cooking utensils:
Cutting board and knife – Use a sturdy cutting board and sharp knife to mince the garlic.
Cast iron skillet – You will need a large, oven-safe cast-iron skillet to cook the halibut.
Spatula – Use a fish spatula or other large spatula to flip the fish over.
Spoon or spatula – Use a wooden spoon or a heatproof silicone spatula to stir the sauce ingredients together.
Key ingredients to make this halibut recipe
Halibut – If you can't find fresh halibut at your local seafood shop or the seafood counter at your grocery store deli, you can use frozen. Simply be sure to thaw completely before cooking.
Halibut is a thick, white fish that can stand up to the big flavors in this dish. It also contains a variety of heart-healthy nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, selenium and magnesium. You can substitute cod instead, if you prefer.
Black pepper – You'll season both sides of the fish with ground black pepper. No need to season with salt since the prosciutto is already salty.
Prosciutto– Prosciutto is thinly sliced, salt-cured, dry-aged Italian ham. You can usually find it in your grocery store's deli section near other common charcuterie items and cheeses.
Butter – Be sure to use unsalted butter in this recipe, since the prosciutto is inherently salty already.
Capers – These tiny round green pops of brininess are the unripened green flower buds of the caper bush. They are usually cured in salt or pickled in brine. You can usually find them in small glass containers in the condiment aisle of your grocery store, near olives and pickles.
Garlic – The recipe calls for two cloves of garlic, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste preference.
Parsley – Use flat-leaf Italian parsley to add a nice fresh herbiness to the dish. You can use curly parsley instead if you can't find flat-leaf Italian parsley.
Lemon juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Or, use store-bought lemon juice in a pinch.
Step-by-step instructions to make prosciutto wrapped halibut
These photo instructions walk you through step-by-step how to make this fish recipe. Be sure to print out the recipe card at the bottom of the post, which contains the full ingredient measurements and full cooking instructions.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat the halibut fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each fish fillet with ground black pepper.
Pat both fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each fillet with ground black pepper. Wrap each fillet with thinly sliced prosciutto, so that one slice wraps around the top half and one slice wraps around the bottom half and the two slightly overlap in the middle.
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish fillets and brown each side slightly, simply about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Be sure to watch the fillets carefully so that the prosciutto doesn't burn.
Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 6 to 7 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center of the fish reads 135°F. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the hot skillet from the oven and place onto your stove. Then transfer the fish to a plate and set it aside.
To the hot skillet (remember: the handle will still be quite hot, so wear oven mitts for safety!), add the butter and allow it to melt down over medium-high heat.
Simply before the butter is completely melted, reduce the heat to medium and add the capers, garlic, parsley, lemon juice. Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or heatproof silicon spatula and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, simply until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant.
Set each fish fillet onto its own plate. Spoon the caper brown butter sauce over each fillet. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Halibut is a thicker and firmer fish compared to cod. Both are tasty, and in a pinch you could definitely substitute cod for halibut in this recipe.
What's a good substitute for capers?It's truly hard to find a 1:1 substitute for capers. They have such a specific taste, shape, and texture. If you can't find capers, try to finely chop up green olives instead. It won't be exactly the same, but the olives will provide a somewhat similar texture and salty, briny flavor akin to capers.
More seafood recipes you'll love
- Poached Halibut
- Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies
- Tuna Pasta with Capers
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Simple Air Fryer Lobster Tails
Wine pairings for halibut
This dish has complexity in flavors that can make it trickier to pair with wines compared to other fish recipes. We've found that a delicate, refreshing Pinot Grigio can help balance the big flavors of this dish. If you can find a Verdicchio wine, the flavors can match the bold salty briny capers.
Enter this month's
In the Kitchen Challenge!
Make a recipe from the current month's recipe theme, upload a photo of your finished dish, and you can enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card!
Read the FULL DETAILS in the January 2022 Cooking Challenge post.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Capers
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 2 people This elegant fish dish makes for a romantic dinner for two and simple, elegant weeknight dinner.Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 (6 to 8 ounce) skinless halibut fillets, about 1-inch thick
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Pat both fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each fillet with ground black pepper. Wrap each fillet with thinly sliced prosciutto, so that one slice wraps around the top half and one slice wraps around the bottom half and the two slightly overlap in the middle.
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish fillets and brown each side slightly, simply about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Be sure to watch the fillets carefully so that the prosciutto doesn't burn. Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 6 to 7 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center of the fish reads 135°F. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the hot skillet from the oven and place onto your stove. Then transfer the fish to a plate and set it aside.
- To the hot skillet (remember: the handle will still be quite hot, so wear oven mitts for safety!), add the butter and allow it to melt down over medium-high heat. Simply before the butter is completely melted, reduce the heat to medium and add the capers, garlic, parsley, lemon juice. Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or heatproof silicon spatula and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, simply until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant.
- Set each fish fillet onto its own plate. Spoon the caper brown butter sauce over each fillet. Serve immediately.
Notes
Fish substitute: You can use cod instead of halibut.Nutrition
Calories: 489 kcal, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 38 g, Saturated Fat: 18 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 154 mg, Sodium: 337 mg, Potassium: 803 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 995 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 28 mg, Iron: 1 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen
