more valentines

Like I promised a few more recipes to use in any combination you want for that special,

just for two, valentines dinner.

And its a good thing, discovered today that lots of folks got excited about the bouillabaisse

recipe and aren’t going to wait till next Monday. And seeing as how no new snow storms in

the forecast to keep Gerard busy I better get crackin with things to cook. As some of you

might remember one of my passions is seafood. I have tried more seafood and Italian

recipes than I can remember so I spend a lot of time looking for great seafood stores. One

of the of the best choices I can find consistently is halibut. A nice thick white flaky halibut

fillet is right at the top of my list. Of course if you are lucky enough to have a really high

end seafood market close by you might be able to find an extra thick cut of Chilean sea

bass, if you are in the mood to spend $20 plus per pound, otherwise lets do the halibut.

Atlantic, Pacific or Alaskan its all great. I think its one of the easiest fish to get creative

with. Encrust it with nuts, seasoned bread crumbs or a seafood mousse. Serve it

with asparagus risotto and smoked Gouda mashed potatoes for an incredible special event

meal.

Now you don’t have to save these recipes for special occasions. Just pick one menu for

Valentines day and the next for wed or Thursday. I skipped Tuesday because you’ll probably

have left over chicken from Monday night. No worry just keep cooking. Now the wines

from last night are perfect for this meal also, a perfectly chilled Wildfire or JK

chard, Divinity a proprietary white blend, or trinity a chard / viognier white blend.

Of course we can’t forget the Irish pinot grigio.

So I have tried both of these halibut recipes and they both have that island influence and

freshness and I can’t make up my mind. Macadamia nuts and lemon juice in one and

then tropical fruit with creamy seafood mousse with a crunch. One of the real treats to

this, at least here in the foothills, is the discovery of fresh California asparagus in the

markets. Makes you want to grill a few and top them with a fried egg, Don’t turn your nose

up at this one till you try it. Remind me to do that recipe some night. Now I never make a

habit of giving out competing recipes but I can’t make up my mind on this one. So I am

going to give you both recipes and you can pick.

MACADAMIA CRUSTED HALIBUT

2 8oz halibut fillets

1 cup macadamia nuts finely chopped

1 large egg, white only

4 tbsp canola oil

2 shallots thinly sliced

1 oz cider vinegar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes pureed

4 oz unsalted butter, cubed

1 tbsp chives finely chopped

2 oz fresh lemon juice

salt and black pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lay the pieces of fish on a clean work surface, season each piece with the salt and pepper.

Using a brush quickly spread a thin layer of egg whites on top of the fish and then sprinkle

over the chopped macadamia nuts. Press the nuts into the fish to create a crust. Heat a

large saute pan coated with the oil over medium heat. Place halibut macadamia side down –

in the pan and sear for 3 to 4 minutes. When macadamia’s are golden brown, flip the fish

and cook for another 3 min. Place fish in a baking dish and cook in the oven for another 8

to 10 minutes.

for the sauce, heat shallots, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium skillet. Reduce until

almost no liquid remains. Add cream and pureed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce by

half. reduce heat, add butter, and whisk constantly. When mixed, add chives and salt to

taste. Keep warm , spoon sauce onto a warm plate and place fish on top, drizzle a little

extra sauce over and around fish.

SHRIMP ENCRUSTED HALIBUT WITH MANGO SALSA

You will really appreciate the contrast of flavors in this recipe with the tropical fruit and a

splash of spice.

MANGO SALSA

1 ripe mango

3 strawberries

1 ripe kiwi

1 small red onion

1/4 bunch cilantro – chopped

a splash of whit wine – up to an oz

1 tbsp vinegar based hot sauce

MAIN DISH – HALIBUT

2 6 to 8 0z halibut fillets

1/4 lb medium shrimp shelled

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 medium white onion

1 cup course bread crumbs

1/4 cup cooking oil

SALSA - prepare salsa about an hour ahead of time so it has time to break down. Dice

mango’s, 1/2 red onion, strawberries and kiwi. Stir in chopped cilantro. add hot sauce and

salt to taste. refrigerate

SHRIMP MOUSSE – slice remaining onion thin and cook in butter until onions are clear. add

shrimp and cook through, then add splash of white wine and a pinch of salt, and cook until

mixture is almost dry. Do not brown. set aside to cool. Puree cooled shrimp and onions in

blender or food processor and slowly add the cream.

HALIBUT – Top halibut fillets with shrimp mixture and encrust with bread crumbs, pressing

crumbs into shrimp mousse. Heat pan and cook fish coating side down. Turn with spatula

when crumbs begin to brown. Finish i n a 350 degree oven for about 5 to 6 min. serve

with salsa on the side or partially on top of a portion of the fish like a lava flow.

Serve either of these spectacular recipes with ASPARAGUS RISOTTO and SMOKED GOUDA

MASHED POTATOES I will add these recipes for tomorrow.

DON’T FORGET THE WINE.

Comments

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Cool! This recipe is very easy to cook, and at the same time it's very interesting and unusual