Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut, Spring Pea Risotto, Carrot & Orange Beurre Blanc

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Special Tools: Juicer

Feeds: 4

4 pc. Fresh Pacific Halibut filet, 6 oz. each

8 slices prosciutto, sliced thin

4 Tbsp. canola oil or clarified butter

1 medium carrot, peeled

1 navel orange, peeled

1 Tbsp. chunk of ginger

¼ cup white wine

¼ lb. raw butter, cubed about the size of a sugar cube, cold

1 tsp. honey

1 cup arborio rice

2 Tbsp. shallots, minced

½ Tbsp. garlic. minced

2 Tbsp. canola oil or clarified butter

¼ cup white wine

3 cups stock, chicken, vegetable or fish, your preference

1 cup fresh spring peas, blanched and chilled quickly

1 Tbsp. raw butter

2-3 Tbsp. mascarpone (similar to cream cheese, but try to find the real thing)

¼ lemon, juice only

Salt and pepper to taste

Spring Pea Risotto

In a medium sauce pot, warm the canola oil, add the shallots, and garlic

Cook until translucent, but do not brown

Add the rice, and coat evenly with the oil

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and reduce

Add the stock, ladle by ladle, stirring constantly to create a creamy, well cooked risotto, al dente, firm, yet tender, the idea is to add a fair amount of stock initially, and then less and less at a time as you get closer to it being cooked. Be sure to season as you go. The end result should be creamy, but not runny, this will take anywhere from 15-20 minutes

Add the blanched peas, lemon juice, butter and mascarpone, stir to completely combine and heat the peas through

Carrot & Orange Beurre Blanc

Using a vegetable juicer, juice the ginger, followed by the orange, and lastly the carrot

If the juice stills seems a little pulpy, quickly pass it through a fine mesh strainer

Place the juice in a small, thick bottomed sauce pot and bring to a simmer

Add the white wine and allow to slowly reduce to about one quarter of it’s original volume, taking on the viscosity of a light syrup

Reduce the heat to low

With whisk in hand, begin to add the butter, cube by cube, whisking quickly to emulsify the butter into the reduction, continue to do so until all of the butter is used, creating an almost cream like sauce, if the surface looks oily, you have overheated the sauce or failed to whisk it in fast enough, causing it to split, and will have to start over

Finish with honey and season

Keep in a warm, but not hot environment until ready to serve over fish, do not make this too early in advance!

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut

Place a large piece of saran wrap down on your work surface

Lay two slices of prosciutto down on the saran wrap

Place the halibut on the prosciutto, presentation side down, ie fat side up

Fold the saran wrap over the fish, allowing the prosciutto wrap around the fish

Seal the fish in the wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, this will allow the prosciutto to adhere to the fish while cooking later

Heat a medium sized sauté pan to high heat, if you are not comfortable cooking fish without it sticking to the pan just use a non-stick pan

Remove the fish from the wrap and season with salt and pepper

Place the clarified butter or canola in the pan, followed by the fish

Sear on the first side until lightly browned and the prosciutto has crisped up, 3-4 minutes, repeat on the second side

Assembly

Place a bed of spring pea risotto on the plate or bowl

Top with seared halibut

Drizzle the beurre blanc over the fish

Garnish with some fresh pea shoots if you’d like

Who’s hungry?