Thursday Night Dinner: Pistachio/Macadamia Crusted Turbot with sauteed spinach and cauliflower puree

After a dinner as delicious as last night's, I decided to keep the good times rolling. I found a nice piece of turbot on sale at Whole Foods (that's usually how I make my fish choices at the market, take a ride with whatever's on sale. Just make sure to cook it that day). Turbot is a mild flavored white fish and is a perfect candidate for a pan broiled preparation.

So you'll remember that yesterday I lost a full sheet of pistachios due to negligence as they burnt to a crisp in the oven. Not to be deterred, I decided to try it again, this time incorporating some macadamia nuts into the mix. I toasted the nuts (vigilantly) to activate the essential oils and release there natural aroma, then gave them a quick pulse in my handy Cuisinart mini food processor. Divide the nuts into two equal piles: one that will be used to dredge the fish and another that will be used as a garnish to the finished product.

The next step is to start preparing the cauliflower puree. Simple is an understatement for the skill level required to execute this dish. I start by washing and prepping the cauliflower head into equal-sized florets. Place the florets in a sauce pan and pour about an inch of liquid (I used chicken stock) into the pot. Simmer the cauliflower until it is tender and top it will a dollop of butter (yes, real butter), salt, pepper and a few roasted garlic cloves (i just happened to have a few laying around). Puree with an immersion blender until the mixture is as smooth as mashed potatoes (which we are trying to simulate). Voila!

The spinach is another stupidly easy side dish to execute. Start by washing your spinach leaves in a salad spinner. Don't have a salad spinner? GET ONE!! If you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle and cook at home more often, a salad spinner is invaluable. You can wash your lettuces, greens, and even fresh herbs (imperative if you buy organic as they tend to come with just a little dirt in the roots). Get a salad spinner.

Get a pan hot and saute the thinly sliced shallots in a dash of oil until they begin to caramelize. At this point, drop your spinach right on top and wait until you hear it start to sizzle. Give the spinach a toss to evenly distribute the shallots, and continue lightly tossing until all the spinach is wilted. At this point, you may season with salt and pepper (not before, as the salt will draw out the water of the spinach and you will end up with a bunch of cooking liquid in the pan.

The last step is to prepare the fish. An important step when buying a thick fish fillet: run your fingers over its flesh to feel for any pin bones that might be hiding. These are thin, sharp, cartilage-like bones in the flesh that, although you are not likely to choke on one, will be very icky in your mouth if you bite into one. Lighly rub both sides of the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Next, pat the fish on the pistachio/macadamia mixture until it sticks and you have an evenly crusted fillet. Lightly drop the fish, top-side down, onto a hot skillet with a generous amount of oil. After the fish is browned on one side, flip it over to finish. This is a thinner fillet than the halibut, so it will cook a lot more quickly.

The last step is to plate. I like a nice presentation with any meal I make, even if it is just for me. I'm a firm believer that you "eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth." Start by spreading a nice portion of cauliflower puree onto a plate. Next, pile on the spinach in the center of the cauliflower to give it height. Lastly, top the spinach with the fish gently so that it maintains its height and garnish with the rest of the pistachio/macadamia mixture. You're welcome.

This might seem complex, but the whole thing took me less than 30 minutes to prepare, start to finish. That's washing the spinach, toasting the nuts, whipping the cauliflower, sauteeing the spinach and cooking the fish, all-in. I love the cauliflower puree in this recipe because it simulates mashed potatoes nicely for a person who has been carb/starch-deprived for the past couple of weeks. There's really not much to dislike from this plate. Try it out.


Cauliflower puree:
yield: 4 c

1 ea cauliflower, trimmer into florets
1 c chicken stock (or veg stock or water, really)
2 T butter
1/4 c roasted garlic cloves
1 t salt
1 t pepper

-bring the cauliflower and stock to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender.
-add the butter, garlic, salt and pepper and continue simmering until butter is melted.
-puree the cauliflower with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve.


Sauteed spinach
yield: 2 c

4 c baby leaf spinach, washed
1/4 c shallot, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

-saute the shallots in oil until caramelized
-top the shallots with the spinach and let it sit for a few moments before stirring.
-lightly toss the spinach until the shallots are evenly distributed and all the spinach is just wilted.
-season with salt/pepper. serve.


Pistachio/Macadamia crusted Turbot

8 oz Turbot fillet
1 oz pistachios, toasted
1 oz macadamias, toasted
1 t olive oil
2 T canola oil
1 t salt
1 t pepper

-pulse the nuts in a food processor until it resembles large crumbs.
-clean the fillet, removing all skin and pin bones. Lighly pat the fillet with olive oil, salt and pepper.
-dredge the fish in nut mixture. If necessary, pat in remaining nut crumbles.
-gently drop fish, top side down, into a preheated, oiled skillet. Do not have the heat too high or else the nuts will burn. Cook until browned on one side, gently flip, and finish the other side. serve.