Stef’s Macadamia Crusted Halibut with a Pineapple Beurre Blanc
Ronnie and I went to Santa Barbara in Summer 2023 for our Baby Moon and I can’t wait to go back. It had everything we love, all in one spot — great food, great people, great adventures. It was actually on this trip, we were inspired to get our pizza oven. The perfect mix of places to relax and feel like you are decompressing and getting away, with just as many places to feel like you are in the mix of things, part of the action, and on an endless adventure. One of our favorite stops while we were there was The Boathouse at Hendrys, where the food was so good I ended up with sauce on my nose, and where we had the best Halibut of our lives — a dish that has been living rent free in our minds since we left.
The menu reads “Macadamia Crusted Halibut with baby bok choy, potato pancake, and a pineapple butter sauce. $34.95”
While I can’t deliver the ambiance of this gem of a place, we’re going to try and make the recipe every bit as delicious as the real thing!
Note - timing is everything on this recipe so you can serve the fish, potato pancake and the halibut hot all at once. Tasha and I have been working on this recipe together and think it’s best to prep everything first, getting your bok choy, and potatoes to their final stages first. Then, your Halibut and finally, while that is finishing up cooking, do your sauce, fry up your potato pancake and then everything will get done together at about the same time. Be patient with yourself if you are trying this for the first time!
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Yields - 4 Servings
Cook time - ~45 mins
Ingredients
Macadamia-Crusted Halibut (here)
4 (6-8ounce) halibut filets
1/2 stick of butter
1 1/4 cups coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
2 tablespoons coconut milk
Kosher salt and pepper
Baby Bok Choy (here)
1 pound baby bok choy
1 ½ tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
salt and pepper to taste
Potato Pancake (here)
4 medium-size potatoes
1 medium onion
2 eggs
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Pineapple Beurre Blanc (here or beurre blanc-y)
1 md shallot finely minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 stick cold butter cut into 1 inch chunks
How to Make
First, Pre-heating your oven to 425 degrees F
Now, Get Your Baby Bok Choy Ready for Primetime
Prepare the Bok Choy by trimming the ends, and slicing each in half lengthwise. If they’re large, cut them into quarters. Wash and pat dry.
(Pause here until everything is prepped and ready for heat).
Add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a wide skillet at room temperature.
Place the skillet over medium-low heat and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the oil bubbles around the garlic. Be careful not to let the garlic turn light brown.
Add bok choy to the skillet and spread it out into one layer.
Sprinkle on salt, then cook it without stirring for 2 minutes or until the bottom turns light brown.
Flip the bok choy and cook it for another 2 minutes, or until the green leaves have wilted and the white bottoms have begun to soften but still have some crunch.
Next, Prep Your Potatoes for Primetime
Using a food processor: peel and cube the potatoes and onion. Place the vegetables in the food processor and process until no lumps remain.
Put the mix in a fine strainer and squeeze almost all of the liquid into a mixing bowl.
Discard the liquid, but keep potato starch (white powder on the bottom of the bowl left after discarding liquid), it gives texture to the pancakes.
Return the potato mixture from the strainer to the bowl and add eggs, flour, with some salt and pepper.
Mix well.
(Pause here until everything is prepped and ready for heat).
Heat up some your olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
Add a spoonful of potato mixture, spreading it slightly.
Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the pancakes are crispy and golden brown.
Place the pancakes on a paper towel, to absorb the excess oil.
Serve hot!
Now, Prep Your Halibut and Get It In The Oven
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside.
Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil.
Place the halibut on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides.
(Pause here until everything is prepped and ready for heat).
Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk.
Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets.
Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Begin Your Pineapple Beurre Blanc Sauce
In a medium skillet combine the shallot, vinegar, white wine, and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until about 4 tbs remain.
Turn heat up a bit and add the cold butter one chunk at a time while whisking vigorously.
Once down to the last couple of pieces of butter remove pan from heat and finish whisking the remaining butter in. Set aside.
It’s Primetime!
Put your Halibut in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
While your Halibut is in the oven, get your bok choy cooking on the stove top. Keep warm.
Remove your Halibut from the oven and brush with coconut milk, a little bit of your pineapple beurre blanc, and your macadamia/panko mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown.
While your Halibut is doing round 2, make your potato pancakes.
Take your Halibut out of the oven and compile your plate: Baby Bok Choy on the bottom, Potato Pancake in the middle, Halibut filet on top.
Finally, get your beurre blanc back on the stovetop, warming it over super low heat, while whisking constantly (do not overheat or it may break) and when it’s warm, drizzle it over the top of your Halibut filets.
Enjoy!
Phew! I told you it was a tough one! I hope that if this was your first attempt you did well. If you like seafood and want to practice your beurre blanc skills, you will probably like Roisin’s Warm Shrimp Salad Recipe. I also hope you’ll make this over and over again, enjoying it more with every attempt.
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