Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Sweet Pea Barley Risotto with Smoked Tomato Sauce
Shane Brassel from Seven Chefs Buffet at Jack Cleveland Casino
About this dish: The Pacific halibut is the world’s largest flatfish and has a very low fat content. This tender and lean fish is great for light summer meals. The pistachio crust adds a rich and nutty, earthy flavor to the delicate Halibut. The creamy barley is cooked like risotto, giving the dish a rich and creamy base. I finished the dish with a light, smoky red sauce… which adds an extra layer of flavor and pop of color. My dish should win because it encompasses what I set out to do each day when I come to work at JACK Cleveland Casino, to surprise and delight our guests. Coming up with new and creative recipes that guests do not expect, such as this one, is how I accomplish this goal. Combining unique flavors, textures, and ingredients to create a truly unique dish is my passion, and I believe this dish exemplifies that.
Pistachio Crusted Halibut Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons dry Japanese bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped dry roasted pistachios
- 4 each 5oz halibut filet
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Pistachio Crusted Halibut Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine bread crumbs and pistachios in a shallow dish. Sprinkle halibut filet evenly with salt & pepper. Brush top of halibut filets with egg whites and dredge the top with pistachios and breadcrumb mixture.
- Place halibut on an olive oil coated sheet pan with the breading / pistachio mixture facing up.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Smoked Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
- 6 whole 4×6 tomatoes peeled and seeded
- ¼ cup of hickory wood chips
- ½ garlic clove peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Smoked Tomato Sauce Directions:
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Rinse the tomatoes with cold water.
- With a paring knife, cut an X into the bottom of each tomato. (This will make it easier to peel the tomatoes once they’re blanched.)
- Place tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes and place in a bowl filled with ice water.
- Use a paring knife and fingers to remove the skin from the tomatoes.
- Cut tomatoes lengthwise into quarters…then core, and remove the seeds.
- Transfer tomatoes to an oil-lined sheet pan.
- Place hickory wood chips in a small pan and ignite with a lighter or a small torch.
- Place tomatoes and hickory chips in your barbecue grill and close the lid.
- Smoke tomatoes for 25 minutes. Remove smoked tomatoes from grill.
- Heat olive oil and garlic in a sauce pot over medium-low heat until garlic begins to sizzle and turns a light brown.
- Add smoked tomatoes.
- Raise the heat to medium high and bring the tomatoes to a boil.
- Stir in salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Place tomato sauce in a container and puree with a handheld blender until smooth.
Sweet Pea Barley Risotto Ingredients:
- 3 oz. baby green peas
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, celery, carrot, finely chopped
- 8oz pearl barley
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
Sweet Pea Barley Risotto Directions:
- In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth and keep warm.
- In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the barley and stir well to coat the grains with butter.
- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the barley and heavy cream, lower the heat slightly and stir until the broth is absorbed.
- Continue adding broth in 1/2 cup increments, letting the barley absorb the liquid (about 3 minutes) after each addition, and stirring almost constantly, until the barley is cooked, 20 to 25 minutes.
- The finished barley will be creamy but still firm to the bite. A few minutes before the risotto is done, stir in the whole peas.
- Remove the cooked barley from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 3/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese and the bread crumbs together.
