As promised, a Pacific Northwest-inspired seafood recipe, and it is so, so good! Hazelnuts are all over the Pacific Northwest and are used as mulch. If you cannot find hazelnuts in your own locale, you could use macadamia nuts or cashews. The measurements for both recipes are estimates, so feel free to adjust to your own tastes. Enjoy your food!
Halibut:
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 halibut filets
1 egg white, whipped slightly
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat a large pan (with lid) to medium-high heat and add the oil. Dip the halibut in the egg white and then into hazelnut mixture, pressing so it sticks. Add fish to pan and brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with lid and cook for
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat a large pan (with lid) to medium-high heat and add the oil. Dip the halibut in the egg white and then into hazelnut mixture, pressing so it sticks. Add fish to pan and brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with lid and cook for
5-10 minutes until fish is opaque throughout. Serve hot, covered with lemon-basil cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Lemon-Basil Cream Sauce:
4 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 tbsp Oregon pinot grigio
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp lemon zest
4 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat till slightly golden brown. Add the lemon juice, stock, wine, and garlic and cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by about half. Whisk in cream until combined and reduce heat to low. Add lemon zest and stir. Sauce will thicken a bit after it starts to cool. If it isn't as thick as you'd like, you can thicken it up by first mixing some cornstarch with cool water and adding it to the sauce. If you add a thickener, bring the sauce back to a boil, and then reduce it again. Add the basil to the sauce just before serving, or place it on top of the sauce after drizzling it over the hazelnut halibut.
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 tbsp Oregon pinot grigio
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp lemon zest
4 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat till slightly golden brown. Add the lemon juice, stock, wine, and garlic and cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by about half. Whisk in cream until combined and reduce heat to low. Add lemon zest and stir. Sauce will thicken a bit after it starts to cool. If it isn't as thick as you'd like, you can thicken it up by first mixing some cornstarch with cool water and adding it to the sauce. If you add a thickener, bring the sauce back to a boil, and then reduce it again. Add the basil to the sauce just before serving, or place it on top of the sauce after drizzling it over the hazelnut halibut.
