Pistachio Encrusted Rockfish

This dish was inspired by a pistachio encrusted tilapia that I ordered the night Moe surprised me and took me out to dinner for our anniversary this year.  It was one of the few seafood dishes that Moe actually enjoyed so I thought I'd try to recreate it for dinner tonight.  The only major change was the addition of a mustard cream sauce which I served drizzled on top of the fish.  It turned out wonderful.  Both Moe and I were part of the clean plate club tonight!

Pistachio Encrusted Rockfish
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves: 2 (with leftovers to spare)

7 oz of fresh cut rockfish
1 cup of pistachios
1 egg
1 tablespoon of fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
1 tablespoon of panko
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 tsp of butter
8-10 pieces of asparagus, rinsed

Mustard Cream Sauce
1 tablespoon of honey mustard
1/2 cup of half and half
1 tsp of flour
2 oz of cream cheese
pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove shells from pistachios and place in zip lock bag.  With a meat pounder, gently crush the pistachios.

Add panko to the pistachio mixture.  Coat baking dish with olive oil.  Crack egg in a bowl and mix.  Pour egg on a flat plate (or use a basting brush) and coat fish evenly with egg.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Discard extra egg (which there will be a lot - you really only use about 1/4 of the egg).

On a new plate, pour pistachio mixture to fully coat the fish.  Carefully transfer fish to the baking dish.  Pour any remaining pistachio mixture on top of fish.  Place tiny slivers of butter on top of fish.

 Divide asparagus in half and place on either side of fish.  Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes until fish is cooked. 

While fish is cooking, heat half and half in skillet. Sprinkle flour so that it does not clump in skillet.  Add cream cheese, honey mustard, and pepper to taste.  Continuously mix until creamy and smooth.  Remove from heat before serving.

Once fish is done, drizzle cream mixture on top of fish and serve immediately.

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out of 10
Miss J, 9 out of 10

- Miss J