One Pan Fish Dinner

Who actually likes doing dishes? No one. I can't imagine the person who, as a little child, looks at a sink full of dirty dishes and thinks, "This is what I want to do when I grow up - wash dishes!"  Let's face it, it may be glam to be a chef but to be a dishwasher is entry-level work in the restaurant kitchen. It's the same at home - dish duty is a pain.

When we were growing up, after a certain age, it was the siblings' duty to wash dishes. Mom usually prepared and cooked the meal but we were expected to set the table, clear the plates afterward, and wash and dry the dishes. Washing beat drying but neither were happy chores. We had frequent quarrels over whose turn it was. Unlike happy TV families, we did not share the job joyously - we just squabbled.

So, when I plan a meal, I'm always happy when I can cut down on dishes, particularly on pots and pans. I reached the zenith of one-pan cooking last week when I prepared this dish of halibut and three kinds of veggies all cooked in the same frying pan.

First, I chopped half an onion and some green onions to soften in a tasty combination of olive oil and butter (I find the half-and-half technique keeps the butter from burning, retains the buttery flavor that we love, and uses less butter, which our doctor likes) in a wide frying pan.  Spears of peeled carrot went in on top of the onions and acted as a prop for the fish on top of those.  With a tablespoon or so of water added, covered, and steamed for a few minutes, I could then slide a spatula under the halibut skin and remove it easily. As the fish neared perfection, perhaps 5 minutes from the end, I lined the asparagus up on top of the fish for a final steam with the lid on.

When the asparagus was brightly green and tender, I lifted them off to the plates, divided the fish into two servings, and topped the fillets with the carrots and the onions, now deliciously infused with the fish juices. The whole thing took less than 20 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve. And the dishes took less than five minutes to wash. Win-win.