A Decadent Delight

Halibut almondine is a dish I’ve been making for my mother-in-law for the last 7 years or so. It is one of her favorites and it’s easy to see why. It’s crunchy, salty and buttery. Add in a creamy and tangy sauce and you are in umami heaven. She loves it with halibut; however, I am not a fan of seafood so I make mine with chicken and it is equally delicious. I always serve mine with steamed white rice and a side of either asparagus or broccoli, depending on the season.

Ingredients

Halibut 

4 (4 oz.) halibut steaks

1 c. flour

Large pinch of salt and pepper

3 eggs 

2/3 c. almond flour

1/3 c. shredded parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. paprika

Pinch of salt and pepper

Bearnaise Sauce 

¼ c. white wine

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. shallots, minced

3 egg yolks

2 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. fresh cracked pepper

½ tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

¾ c. butter, melted

Almondine Mixture

¾ c. sliced almonds

2 tbsp. shallots, minced 

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Pinch of salt and pepper

For serving:

Steamed rice for serving

Steamed veggies

Instructions

For the almondine:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter then add garlic and shallots. 

2. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Stirring constantly, cook another 3-4 minutes until almonds start to turn brown. 

For the halibut:

3. Take 3 separate small bowls. In the first, add the flour, salt and pepper. In the second, add the eggs and whisk until well blended. In the third, add the almond flour, cheese and spices.

4. Pat the halibut dry with paper towels. Then dip in the flour bowl, then into the egg mixture, and lastly into the almond flour mixture. 

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

6. Heat a large skillet pan over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the oil is hot, add the fish. Do not overcrowd the pan. If using a smaller skillet, do two pieces of fish and then repeat. Pan-fry the fish until golden brown for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and repeat. 

7. Check the temperature of the fish. Although it is recommended that you cook fish to 145 degrees, halibut will be very dry when cooked to that temperature. I recommend cooking it to between 125-135 degrees depending on what you’re comfortable with.  

8. If the fish is not quite to temperature, place fish on a baking tray and into the oven to finish cooking. Plan on roughly a 5 degree increase in temperature per 1 minute of baking.

9. Once it hits your desired temperature, remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. 

10. While it rests, prepare your sauce. 

For the sauce:

11. In a pan over medium heat, combine wine, vinegar and shallots. Cook until reduced by half about 4-5 minutes.

12. In a bowl/blender combine egg yolks, herbs and spices. Blend until combined. You can whisk it rapidly or use a blender or an immersion blender. Then add in the shallot mixture and blend again. Next, very slowly pour in the hot butter while blending. Once all the butter has been added, blend for another 10 seconds. Serve immediately. 

Chef Note

If using chicken, I recommend using chicken tenders or thin chicken breasts. The chicken will need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.