Wasabi Halibut

This may be one of our favorite items on our recipes list and will definitely impress your guests.

Creamy mushroom and asparagus risotto with pan seared halibut in a miso glaze and sprinkled with dollops of wasabi. 

Some helpful preparation tips:

• Prepare the miso glaze first and just keep it warm on low, or make it in advance and reheat it just before serving.  Reheating in the microwave for  a few seconds (depending upon how much your reheating) is perfectly fine.  This way it is done and out of the way
• Sauté the mushrooms in advance as well
• Prepare the asparagus for the oven but don’t cook it until you put the halibut on the pan so they both finish at the same time.  
• Don’t over cook the halibut which many people do.  It should only take about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side depending upon how thick the halibut is.  That means it’s in the pan less than 4 minutes total.

Directions:

This is enough to make 4 nice large plates.

Miso Glaze:

1 cup Miso (white)
1 cup Kirin
1 cup Sake
1 cup brown sugar

Heat it all up until it’s dissovled. You can let it cool until your ready to eat, then just heat it up again and a thin layer into the bottom of a large plate

Risotto:

Make it the traditional way.  1 ½ cups dry arborio rice (risotto) is the right amount for 4 people.  Put a nice layer of white wine and shallots in a large pan with the rice and start to toast the rice.  Once is has absorbed all the wine add chicken broth to the risotto until the risotto is finished. It will take almost of full box (container) of chicken broth. I think they are 32oz per box. If you don’t know how to make risotto (arborio rice) there’s plenty of tutorials online.  But basically keep adding 1 cup of chicken broth at time to the risotto keeping it on low(er) heat.  As it absorbs the broth keep adding more until its nice and creamy.  The first time you add the chicken broth you can add almost ½ the container but afterwards add it more slowly until it absorbs it and you get the right consistency. 

Chop some asparagus into bite size chunks.  4-5 asparagus stalks will be good for 2 cups of risotto. Cook the chopped asparagus in the oven for about 8 minutes and 350.  Doesn’t have to be perfectly done, you wantit hot but still crispy. Saute’ some mushrooms.  Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the risotto after the risotto has cooked and just before you plate it all up. This keeps the asparagus crunchy.

Wasabi Drizzle:

Take wasabi power and add water to it like you would be making the standard wasabi ball found on a sushi plate. In this case though, add just enough water that you  can just barely “pour it”

Halibut:

Coat the halibut in dry flour just to give it a dusting. Put it in a frying pan with enough olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter to keep it from sticking to the pan.  Get it nice and hot and cook it two minutes each side. It will turn a nice brown.  Don’t cook it longer than that or you’ll over cook it. 

Final plate preparation:

Ladle the miso glaze on the bottom of the plate – don’t add too much.  Just thick enough to hide the plate. Add a nice helping of risotto with the mushrooms and asparagus mixed into the risotto. Add the halbut on top.  If you really want to get fancy add some sliced ginger to the top of the halibut for a garnish.  Then drizzle just a little more of the miso over the top of the halbut but not very much. Finally, drizzle the wasabi around the plate. Sliced ginger on the top of the halibut makes a great garnish

The attached picture is what it looks like when completed.  It’s phenomenal.