Almond-Crusted Halibut with Vegetable Curry

By á-3151

This halibut recipe calls for ground almonds instead of breadcrumbs to get that ever-desirable crunchy coating.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
• 4 cups carrot juice
• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 cups 1-inch pieces mixed vegetables, such as bell peppers and squash
• Fine sea salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant and softened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add curry paste. Cook, stirring continuously, until paste begins to caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Add carrot juice; increase heat to high. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until juice is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain curry through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids in sieve. Return to same pot; add coconut milk and mixed vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind almonds in a food processor until largest pieces are 1/8-inch (do not grind to a paste). Transfer to a wide shallow bowl. Season both sides of each fillet with salt. Whisk egg white in another wide shallow bowl until just frothy. Dip top of each fillet in egg white, then into almonds, pressing to adhere. Transfer to a plate, crust side up.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish, crust side down, in pan. Cook until nuts are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over fillets and transfer skillet to oven. Bake until fish is just opaque in center, 4 to 5 minutes.

Divide curry base among wide bowls. Top with fillets, crust side up. Garnish with basil.