Sautéed Halibut with Lemon Bacon Risotto, Jalapeno Salsa, and Hollandaise

I made this recipe over the Thanksgiving holiday and it was a hit with all my relatives. The only aspect that wasn’t a hit was when I accidentally ate a raw jalapeno. Spicy!

INGREDIENTS

For the fish:

• 2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup olive oil

For the risotto:

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 2 Tbs heavy cream
• 2 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• salt to taste

For the jalapeno salsa:

• 1 8-ounce can tomatoes
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

For the hollandaise:

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 sprigs tarragon
• 4 whole peppercorns, crushed
• 1/2 cup clarified butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup shallot, diced

DIRECTIONS

Combine seasonings for rub with melted butter in a small bowl.

Rub seasoning mixture over each halibut filet and chill for 30 minutes.

For the risotto, combine rice vinegar, chopped onions, and scallions in a pot and simmer until reduced by half.

In a separate pan, saute rice with olive oil and half of the vinegar reduction until rice is browned.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock. Wait until the stock has absorbed and then add another 1/2 cup of stock. Repeat until all 4 cups of chicken stock have been added. Then, add heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, bacon and salt as well as the remaining half of the vinegar reduction. Combine and set aside.

Preheat 1/2 cup olive oil for the halibut. Sauté fish until it can be easily flaked with a fork. Set aside.

Add white wine vinegar, shallots, and tarragon to a pan and let simmer. Bring water to a boil in a large pan. Place a large heat proof bowl in water to create a double boiler. Next, place egg yolks, crushed peppercorns, and 1/2 of the vinegar mixture in double boiler. Stir until thickened. Add clarified butter and remaining vinegar mixture to egg yolk mixture. Continue mixing for 30 seconds. Set aside.

For the salsa, place canned tomatoes, 1/2 jalapeno, 2 cloves crushed garlic, onion, and salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth.

Plate as desired and enjoy!