Coating:
1 1/2 cups toasted pignolis (pine nuts)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon crumbled rosemary
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Wisconsin Parmesan cheese, grated
4 6-ounce red snapper fillets*
2 large eggs, whisked with 2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk
1 1/3 cups (about 8 ounces) Wisconsin Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh basil, in chiffonade
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely-chopped scallion greens
Lemon slices for garnish
*If snapper is unavailable, substitute small, brook trout, salmon trout or sea bass filets, cleaned and ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine pignolis, flour, rosemary, salt and pepper in food processor and pulse until it's the texture of fine bread crumbs, but not pasty. Mix with the Wisconsin Parmesan and spread on a sheet of wax paper. Dry filets, then dip them in egg mixture, then coat in the pignoli-Parmesan mixture. Press coating on gently to assure it adheres.
In a small bowl, combine Wisconsin Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese, white pepper to taste, cream and basil, set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide, heavy skillet to medium high, add 2 of the filets. When a crust forms and the fish moves easily, turn and brown briefly. Remove, add remaining oil, and repeat with the last two filets. Return all filets to the skillet and finish cooking them in the oven until opaque when pierced with a knife tip, or until they reach a desired doneness.
Remove from oven and serve each filet on a large "dollop" of Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese-basil cream. Garnish filets with prepared scallion greens and lemon. Serve hot.
Posted: 1/8/2010 5:11:27 PM