A Restaurant Quality meal you can make at home! Featuring Pistachio Crusted Fish with a Grapefruit-Butter Sauce, Composed Grapefruit Salad with a Ginger-Grapefruit Vinaigrette. Naturally gluten-free. Easily doubled.
2wholebranzino fish fillets or red snapper* - 3/4 pound
fewpinchessea salt & freshly cracked pepperI use Himalayan pink salt
4cloves softened garlic mashed (see recipe below)
2tablespoonsshelled pistachioscoarsely chopped
1/2teaspoonfresh thyme leavescoarsely chopped
1 1/2teaspoonneutral oilsuch as safflower oil
Grapefruit Butter Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoonscold unsalted butterdivided, I use organic
3/4teaspoonfresh grated ginger
1/2teaspoongrated or minced garlic
1big pinchred pepper flakesI use Szechuan chili flakes
3tablespoonsred grapefruit juicefreshly squeezed
1/4teaspoonpure cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt I use Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
Start the Grapefruit Butter Sauce:
Start with the butter sauce ~ Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small non-reactive 1 cup heavy pot. Add ginger, garlic and chili flakes. Bring to a simmer and turn off to blend flavors. (Will finish sauce after fish cooks.)
Pistachio Crusted Fish:
Salt and pepper both sides of the fillet. Leave to stand 20 minutes at room temperature (helps so the fish does not curl while cooking.)Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to a skillet and raise heat to medium- high. Add fish, skin side UP and cook one minute until a touch golden.Turn the fillets over, press down with spatula for a few seconds so the fish does not curl.
Quickly add the mashed softened garlic - and smooth over both fillets. Top evenly with pistachios and press down to adhere. Sprinkle thyme on top.
Cook until the fish is firm and cooked through, about 4 minutes. I did not need to cover as the fish was not too thick.
Finish Grapefruit Butter Sauce:
Heat the butter sauce in the pot, bring to a simmer. Add the grapefruit juice, sugar and sea salt. Reduce over low-medium heat until reduced by half.Take off heat - add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter and swirl in with a fork. Taste for seasonings.
Finish and Enjoy:
Place each fillet on a dinner plate. Pour butter sauce a bit on top and around.Top with a supreme grapefruit slice - or top with a portion of my Grapefruit Salad with Ginger-Grapefruit Vinaigrette.