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Grilled Halibut with Asparagus Risotto and Mango Cream

David Scott Allen, Cocoa & Lavender
5 from 2 votes
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Ingredients
  

Mango Cream

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • 2 large very ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of salt

Asparagus Risotto

  • 8 spears asparagus
  • 5 cups light vegetable or chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • salt to taste

Halibut

  • 4 four-ounce halibut fillets
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

Instructions
 

Make the 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.