4 [6-oz] skin-on fillets of trout, Arctic char, or salmon
20ml (4 tsp) extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup dukkah*
Avocado oil
*To make dukkah: In a mortar & pestle or spice grinder, combine 28g/5 Tbsp toasted pistachio kernels, 4g/2 tsp toasted cumin seed, 3g/2 tsp toasted coriander seed, 2g/1 tsp toasted fennel seed, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp urfa biber or Aleppo pepper, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp fresh black pepper; pulse or pound to break down coarsely. Add 24g/2 Tbsp + 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds and pulse or pound just to combine. Measure out 6 Tbsp for coating fish, and reserve remaining mixture for garnish.
Procedure
Make pistachio cream: drain pistachios and add to blender with water, lemon juice, and salt. Puree until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lemon if desired.
Make spring vegetable relish: Add 15ml/1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet² over medium heat. When oil is hot, add diced fennel and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened. Transfer fennel to a medium bowl and add beets, radishes, shallot, preserved lemon, and mint. Whisk together remaining 75ml/5 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, and pepper; pour over vegetables, and toss to combine.
Prep fish: pat fillets dry thoroughly with paper or kitchen towels. Place fillets on work surface, skin-side up. Using a very sharp knife, cut several *shallow* diagonal slashes just through the skin of the fish³. Transfer fillets to a wire rack, skin-side down, and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to air-dry completely.
Crust fish: Rub top of each fillet with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Spoon about 1 ½ Tbsp dukkah onto each fillet, spread to cover the entire exposed surface, and press gently to adhere.
Cook fish: Add 30ml/2 Tbsp avocado oil to large skillet⁴ over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, place fillets in pan skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for the first 20-30 seconds to keep fillets flat. Cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and fillets release easily from pan. Flip fillets over and cook on dukkah side for 1 - 1 ½ minutes, just until crust is golden.
Serve: Place one fish fillet on each of four plates. Scatter relish over and around fish, and drizzle pistachio cream over the top. Sprinkle with chopped mint and a generous pinch of remaining dukkah, and serve additional relish and cream on the table for guests to help themselves.
Notes
¹ If you plan ahead you can soak the pistachios overnight in cool filtered water. As a last-minute alternative, do a quick hot soak: add pistachios to a saucepan and cover with filtered water by one inch. Bring just to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the nuts soak for 15 minutes. Drain well.
² If you can find a nice-looking piece of fresh horseradish, feel free to use that instead. Wash and peel it, then finely grate 1 Tbsp and use it in place of the prepared.
³ Scoring the skin of a fish fillet helps keep it from shrinking up during cooking. The key is to release the surface tension of the skin without cutting into much - if any - of the flesh beneath.
⁴ Make sure your skillet is sufficiently wide to accommodate the fillets without crowding them. If necessary, cook them 2 at a time, using 15ml/1 Tbsp oil for each batch.
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/dukkah-crusted-fish-spring-vegetable-relish/