This easy recipe not only brings together a taste of the islands with macadamia nuts, sweet onion and garlic chili paste, it uses many ingredients you’re likely to already have on hand. Recipe and photo source: Emeril Lagasse, The Food Network
Ingredients:
- 1 cup macadamia nuts ground in a food processor
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Thai garlic-chile paste (recommended: Sriracha)
- 6 (6-ounce) opah (moonfish) fillets
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 Maui sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 4 scallions, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Prepare:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine macadamia nuts, flour and panko in a shallow baking dish.
- In another shallow baking dish, combine the buttermilk and chile paste and mix well.
- Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper. Dip the fish into the buttermilk-chile mixture and then into the nut mixture.
- Heat oil in a very large nonstick skillet over medium high heat; you will need to do this in 2 batches or have 2 skillets. Saute fish for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the fish and place in the oven for 5 minutes, until cooked through and firm to the touch.
Serve with Cabbage Stir-Fry
Cabbage Stir-Fry: In a large wok over medium-high heat, add peanut oil until nearly smoking. Add cabbage, carrots, onions, and cilantro and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper, and a touch of water and cook until tender but crisp. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.