crispy fish and lemon butter spring veg
with hot honey sauce
Spring is such a fickle season (at least here in Northern California). On Sunday, it was 75°F and sunny and I took the little boys to the beach, where we all earned our first pink shoulders of 2025. Since then, it’s been drizzly and grey. But one thing we can do to keep the spring hype alive, no matter what the weather is outside? Cook bright, springy foods! Goodbye, stewy saucy season! Crisp veg is here until October.
I first wrote this recipe with a ton of veg you’d have to chop yourself — asparagus, snap peas, and zucchini — but as I tested it, I changed things up to call for less chopping, equal enjoyment. We’re using fresh spring asparagus and scallions (aka spring onions!), but throwing them in a skillet with frozen peas and frozen corn. Trust me, it’s delightful. But if you want to head to the farmers’ market and make this with all fresh vegetables, more power to you! Lots of ideas in the swaps section below the recipe (as always!)
If you were a member of Kitchen Table (a virtual cooking class I ran years ago), you might remember a variation of this recipe using salmon. For the 2.0 version, I wanted to use halibut, which — if you’re new to it — has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a firm texture. It’s always a winner with my kids, and is a great option for anyone in your life who may be wary of fish. The only downside is that it can be pricy. Check the subs section below the recipe for great alternatives if needed!
To really put this meal over the top, I wanted to add a sauce, and, oh boy, the hot honey sauce delivers. I can’t wait for you to taste this bright and flavorful springy feast!
Want another way to enjoy halibut? Try my sheet-pan macadamia-crusted version — the fish feels gourmet but is so, so simple, and the roasted kale and red bell peppers are insanely flavorful. In the notes section beneath today’s recipe, I share a riff to give the veg succotash vibes. If the thought of succotash makes you happy, try my 30-minute scallops with succotash next. And if today’s recipe makes you crave another fish + spring veg dinner, bookmark sheet-pan spring salmon for another night soon.
Serves 4
Cook time: 45 minutes
Tools:
Ingredients:
Crispy fish and lemon butter vegetables:
4 (6-ounce) halibut filets
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 bunch scallions (aka spring onions!), thinly sliced (roots discarded)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus (~1 pound), bottom 1 1/2 inches trimmed and discarded
1 handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, more if needed
2 cups frozen English peas (or 1 pound snap peas, cut into thirds)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (ideally sweet white corn)
2 lemons, 1 cut in half, 1 cut into wedges for serving
Hot honey sauce:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Place 4 (6-ounce) halibut filets on a clean paper towel or dish towel and pat dry. Season with about 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper per filet, and set aside at room temperature.
Make your hot honey sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce (or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes), and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stirring continuously, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil until smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Do you want it spicier? Sweeter? Saltier? Do your thing here.
Prep all your vegetables now, because things will move quickly once we start cooking. Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions, using every part but discarding the roots, and 4 garlic cloves. Cut off (and discard) the bottom 1 1/2 inches of 1 bunch asparagus, then slice the stalks into 1/4-inch pieces on a diagonal. Finely chop 1 handful fresh basil leaves.
Warm a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, swirl to coat the pan, and warm for 30 seconds. This step is VERY important, your skillet needs to be properly preheated!
Add the filets to the skillet skin-side UP (if they have skin) and press down firmly with a spatula to ensure the edges don’t curl up. Cook for 3 minutes, until they are crispy and golden and release easily from the skillet (if they aren’t ready yet, cook them for 30 more seconds and try again. Repeat as needed). Turn heat down to medium and flip the fish. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, tilt the skillet to the side, and use a spoon to baste the fish with the melted butter almost continuously for the next 3 minutes, until an internal thermometer reads between 125°F (medium-rare — ideal for salmon and tuna in my opinion!) and 140°F (well-done — ideal for halibut and other white fish). Fish cooking time can vary a bit based on how thick your filets are, so use your meat thermometer! If you don’t have one, you are looking for the fish to turn opaque and flake easily with a fork.
Transfer fish to a holding plate, skin-side up.
Do not wipe out the skillet! Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the skillet along with the thinly sliced scallions (reserving a couple tablespoons of raw scallions for garnish!) and the thinly sliced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until becoming tender.
Add the sliced asparagus and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until almost crisp-tender (AKA, until it has softened some but still has a crunch) — take a bite to see! Add 2 cups frozen English peas and 1 1/2 cups frozen corn and cook until asparagus is bright green and the frozen veg have warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chopped basil, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more butter, salt, lemon juice, or pepper as desired. If the flavor isn’t totally popping, it likely needs more lemon juice and kosher salt.
Nestle the filets into the vegetables (skin-side up, if they have skin, to keep it crispy), for a few minutes to re-warm. Garnish with extra basil and the reserved scallions, serve with lemon wedges, and finish with a drizzle of hot honey sauce. DIG IN!
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I have fresh veg! If you want to use fresh English peas or snap peas, do it! If using English peas, add them to the skillet first, after cooking the scallion and garlic, along with a splash of water, and cover to steam them for 3 to 4 minutes. Then continue with the recipe as written. But honestly, I really, really like and often prefer frozen peas!
Riff: Give the vegetables succotash vibes by adding lima beans and/or cherry tomatoes.
Prep ahead: Prep all your vegetables up to a day in advance! Your hot honey sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
Chop less: Omit the asparagus and use full bags of peas and corn instead.
Feeding 1 or 2: This recipe’s easy to halve if you don’t want leftovers!
Love your leftovers: If you do have leftovers, they’ll be good for 3 days stored in the fridge in airtight containers. Here are some ideas for what to do with them:
Fish tacos: Warm corn tortillas and fill them with warmed flaky fish, the lemony veggies, crumbled feta or cotija, avocado, and hot honey sauce.
Fried rice: Sauté your leftover veggies with 2 cups of cooked white rice. Add garlic, ginger, and a splash of soy sauce, then stir in leftover fish until warm. Drizzle with hot honey sauce.
A great salad: Toss some mixed greens or chopped romaine with the leftover veggies and top with the warmed flaked fish. Make a dressing using your leftover hot honey sauce by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. If needed, stir in more oil until it’s the consistency of a vinaigrette.
Vegetarian: Use 4 large king oyster mushrooms, halved lengthwise, or a block of firm or extra-firm tofu. If using tofu, press the block between clean dish cloths for 15 to 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Slice it into 4 “filets” and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper like you would the fish and, if you have some, lightly dust the filets with cornstarch or arrowroot powder (this will help them crisp up). Whether you’re cooking tofu or mushrooms, sear them for 3 to 4 minutes per side until crispy and golden.
Dairy-free/gluten-free: Use a plant-based butter to make it DF. Check that your mustard and hot sauce are gluten free (most are, but it’s always good to check) — otherwise, it’s already GF.
Halibut: Salmon, trout, snapper, cod, haddock, sea bass. If you hate fish, you could cook chicken thighs instead. Sear them for 5 minutes per side until golden and crispy, then cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F.
Scallions: Leeks, chives, 1 minced shallot, 1 small yellow, white, or red onion
Garlic cloves: 4 cubes frozen crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or a minced shallot
Asparagus: Snap peas or green beans — cut them into thirds and cook them like you would the asparagus. Or omit the asparagus and use more frozen peas and corn.
Basil: Flat-leaf parsley, dill, mint, cilantro, or a mix of fresh green herbs
Olive oil: EVOO, avocado oil, sunflower oil, melted coconut oil (or any other oil you’ve got)
Unsalted butter: Salted butter but cut back a little on salt elsewhere (you can always add more at the end!), ghee, vegan butter, more oil (but the butter’s sooo good)
Peas + corn: See the “I have fresh veg” note for how to cook with fresh peas. You could use fresh corn cut off cobs or a can of canned corn (drained) instead. Diced zucchini and summer squash would be good in there. Lima beans and/or cherry tomatoes would be too. Or diced red bell pepper!
Lemons: Limes or a light-colored vinegar like white wine or apple cider vinegar
Dijon: Whole-grain, yellow, or stone ground mustard. For a non-mustard sub… I think melted butter would make for a delicious and decadent hot honey sauce. Or you could use Greek yogurt. Or miso paste (but start with half the amount).
Honey: Maple syrup, agave nectar, or date syrup
Hot sauce: Chili oil, sriracha, cayenne pepper, or harissa
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Photographer: Anna Routh Barzin
Editor: Molly Ramsey
I made this, this evening - added some yellow squash for color and a mix of herbs. Mixed Trader Joe’s hot honey with Dijon, for the sauce - Quite the fresh and satisfying spring dinner!!
I made this with salmon. It was delicious!!! 🤤