Monday, March 24, 2008

Fish with pistachio herb crust

Lactose-free, egg-free

Serve 6

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (3-4 slices bread)
30g flat-leaf parsley leaves (2 small handfuls)
20g basil leaves (1 small handful)
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup unsalted pistachios
1 teaspoon sea salt
?cup olive oil
6 x 150g firm white fish fillets (I used Rock Ling)

Use a food processor to crumb the bread. Add the parsley, basil, garlic and pistachios and pulse until combined but the texture is still rough. Pour in the oil and pulse again to moisten crumbs. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the fish fillets on the paper. Divide the pistachio mixture between the fillets and press down well to make a firm crust. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium and the oven to 180 degree. Place the tray under the grill and cook the fish until the crust is starting to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer tray to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Serve with lemon wedges, diced roasted potatoes and a green salad.

Notes:Other types of firm white fish include Blue-eye, Flake or Mirror Dory.
My fishmonger recommends buying Gummy Flake as it is a smallish shark; concerns re mercury levels significantly reduced.
Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free bread for the breadcrumbs.The Rock Ling I used was quite thick and took ages to cook, so I sacrificed one piece of beautifully crusted fish (no prize for guessing whose piece) to keep checking for doneness.

(Source: kidspot.com.au)