Pompano With Cilantro Pesto

Pompano With Cilantro Pesto

Test kitchen tip: To make the Cilantro Pesto, you need a mini-food processor. If you don't have one, you can double the recipe using 1 ½ cups cilantro, the juice and zest of 1 lime and ¼ cup mayonnaise and make it in a blender. The recipe as written makes about ¼ cup sauce; doubling it makes ½ cup. Serve the fish over rice. This sauce also works well with mahi mahi and yellowtail snapper.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 small yellow onion, chopped

12 blanched almonds, toasted*

¾ cup packed cilantro

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

¼ serrano chile, optional

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 (6- to 8-ounce) pompano fillets, skin removed

2 tablespoons flour

Method

In a skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and saute 10 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, in a mini-food processor, fine-chop the almonds. Remove from the processor and set aside. Add the cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, salt, pepper and chile to the processor. Use on/off pulses to chop fine. Return the nuts to the processor and puree until smooth and thick.

Place the flour on a plate. In another large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Dredge the pompano fillets in flour and shake to remove excess. Cook the pompano in the skillet about 3 minutes per side until golden.

To serve, place a fillet on each plate. Top with 1 tablespoon cilantro mixture and a portion of caramelized onions.

Makes 4 servings. makes 1/4 cup sauce

*To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds in a baking dish and bake 15 minutes until golden, shaking pan frequently. Do not let burn. Cool before using.