Grilled Indian-Spiced Halibut

Using a mortar and pestle (or a spice grinder), coarsely grind together:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Place in a small bowl and add:
1/2 tablespoon tumeric
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder (I like Sun Brand)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Set spice mixture aside on a large plate – this will act as a rub/dry marinade for your fish. Rinse and pat dry:
16 ounces of halibut (or other firm, grill-able fish)
I like to buy a single piece of fish then portion it myself. If you have lots of sides or other courses, I think that a pound of fish can easily be distributed amongst four people. Being a little hogish the other night, we ate all of this ourselves (along with a nice pile of risotto). Once you have the fish cut into the pieces you want to serve, check it for pinbones and remove them with a pair of needle-nose pliers, if need be. Rub each down with a little bit of olive oil and then run through the spice mixture, paying most of your attention to the skinless sides of the fish (when I grilled halibut the other night, the skin stuck to the grill, but kept the fish nice and moist during cooking; I am sure that it would be fine to remove the skin before cooking, too, but I found it easier just to leave it on). Let the fish sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes with the rub on it, or just while you get your grill heated. This recipe works well on any grill or even a grill pan – just make sure that you oil the grill well before cooking. I took the extra precaution of rubbing another bit of olive oil on the outside of the rub – just to ensure that the flesh of the fish would not stick. Once your cooking surface is hot, place the fish skin-side down on the grill for about 5 minutes; when the fish is ready, it should flip pretty easily, though you might lose the skin (no big deal). Same with the other side – don’t force the fish to flip – give it a good 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. The rule is 10 minutes of cooking per inch of thickness, when you measure the thickest part of the fish – it is a pretty foolproof rule, actually, and is worth committing to memory. Serve immediately.