Pan-Roasted Halibut Cheeks with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

I was originally going to use scallops for this dish, but when I looked at the fish case at the market and saw fresh halibut cheeks, my menu changed quickly! If you can find halibut cheeks you HAVE to try them. If your market carries regular halibut fillet or steaks, ask the fish person to get you some cheeks. Frozen are fine and they can probably do a special order for you. These are actually sweet, succulent pockets of meat found in the cheeks of the fish. It looks, and also cooks, like a scallop. It is the kind of thing that the fish mongers take home to eat themselves while they laughing at us poor suckers stuck with the fillet!

Warm pancetta vinaigrette is a wonderful sauce for this dish (as it is with almost any dish), and a little goes a long way. I served my cheeks on top of some bright yellow spaghetti squash with is a great, and healthy base for this recipe. Just the pancetta dressing on the squash would have been a winner. Check the site for a demo on how to prep the squash, as it is a very simple and delicious side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Wild Halibut Cheeks (Or Scallops, Tuna, Etc)
• 3 Oz Pancetta or Bacon
• 1 Large Handful Pea Shoots Or Sprouts
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• Black Pepper
• Salt
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 1 Lemon