Recipe for Grilled Halibut, Asparagus Risotto, and Mango Cream
CopyCat!
Cats love fish, and so do I. Thus I have no problem copying – or attempting to recreate from memory – a fish dish we recently enjoyed while visiting Santa Fe. We dined at El Nido (The Nest) in the small village of Tesuque, just across the road from the Santa Fe Opera. Following our meal, we saw a spectacular rendition of Mozart’s comic opera The Magic Flute.
El Nido is a small, casual, and welcoming restaurant that has an Argentinian grill and a wood-burning horno, giving their food its unique flavor. From our table we could see Chef Jose “Ziggy” Montalvo cooking over the open fire in the kitchen; his food is beautiful and flavorful. I tend not to ask chefs for their recipes because it interrupts the server and chef at a very busy time. I rather enjoy the challenge of recreating recipes relying on my tastebuds. In today’s post, I do my best to approximate his superb “live fire seafood special” we had that evening — Grilled Halibut with Asparagus Risotto and Mango Cream. I paired it with a rosé — you can read more about the wine on the Provence WineZine.
~ David
Grilled Halibut with Asparagus Risotto and Mango Cream
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the minced shallot until clear. Add the mango and cook until very soft; do not let it brown. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add cream and a good pinch of salt, and purée until very smooth. Return to the skillet, cover, and set aside.
Make the Asparagus Risotto
Trim the bottoms of the asparagus then cut them into 1/4-inch slices; set the slices aside.
Bring the broth to a simmer. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil together in a large pot. Add the shallot and cook until it is clear. Add the arborio rice and stir to coat, cooking for a minute or two until it turns opaque. Add a cup of broth and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated. Continue with a ladleful of broth (1/2 cup) at a time, stirring all the while. When you are down to a couple of ladlefuls of the broth left to add, add the asparagus slices. Continue adding broth until it is used up. When the last ladleful of broth has been absorbed, stir in the final 2 tablespoons butter, and set risotto aside, covered, while you grill the fish.
Grill the Halibut and Finish the Dish
Heat grill to high. (Real charcoal is best for this preparation.) Oil the halibut slices (and the grill) and season the fish well with salt. Place the fish skinned side up on the grill for 2-3 minutes. Do not disturb. Then carefully flip the fillets and grill for another two minutes, or until cooked through (flaky, but not dry).
Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce and the risotto; if risotto is too thick, add a tiny bit of water. Divide the sauce between four heated plates and top each with around 1/2 cup of risotto. Place the cooked halibut fillets on top and serve immediately.
Notes
Serves 4.In a perfect world, I would have garnished this with something green — pea shoots, or the like. I tried using asparagus but it just didn’t look good, so here it is plain.
I have never thought of making a mango cream like that – great! And I love both the making and eating of risottos, finding it very relaxing . . . and the beginning of the asparagus season is upon us 3-4 weeks into the future . . . the fish belongs . . . what a copiable enticing dish . . . thank you for sharing! AND – I have heard a lot about the Santa Fe Opera and I have not seen the Magic Flute for more than a decade . . . I wish, oh I do wish !
The halibut and asparagus risotto combination sounds fabulous! The Vivonne rosé sounds like an excellent match for them. It’s interesting that rosé is able compliment many foods that are difficult to pair with wine. It’s definitely rosé season, which makes me happy! Well done!
Susan Manfull
August 1, 2026 at 2:37 amThis looks yummy! The wine pairing sounds lovely and, as you wrote, asparagus and wine don’t always get along!
Eha Carr
August 1, 2026 at 4:06 amI have never thought of making a mango cream like that – great! And I love both the making and eating of risottos, finding it very relaxing . . . and the beginning of the asparagus season is upon us 3-4 weeks into the future . . . the fish belongs . . . what a copiable enticing dish . . . thank you for sharing! AND – I have heard a lot about the Santa Fe Opera and I have not seen the Magic Flute for more than a decade . . . I wish, oh I do wish !
angiesrecipes
August 1, 2026 at 5:42 amI love meaty halibut and haven’t had some in a while! The mango cream is really a nice surprise.
Mimi Rippee
August 1, 2026 at 5:53 amDelicious!!! Love the simple mango cream.
Barb
August 1, 2026 at 7:26 amThe halibut and asparagus risotto combination sounds fabulous! The Vivonne rosé sounds like an excellent match for them. It’s interesting that rosé is able compliment many foods that are difficult to pair with wine. It’s definitely rosé season, which makes me happy! Well done!
Mad Dog
August 1, 2026 at 7:51 amHa ha, I often do the same! That looks fabulous and that’s a lovey piece of fish.