Baked Steelhead With Nutty Lemongrass Crust

Ingredients:

Serves 4

4 6-8 oz steelhead fillets (or 2 large fillets, halved)

2 stalks lemongrass, remove outer layers until you reach the inner core then finely mince

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

4 tbsp butter

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup coarsely chopped almonds

1 tbsp each of chopped fresh basil and cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon and lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F. Combine lemongrass, garlic, ginger and nuts. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium high heat and sauté the lemongrass mixture for about 2-3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for another 1-2 minutes stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the herbs.

Place fillets on a baking sheet, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the breadcrumb mixture pressing down firmly. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the meat flakes easily and is opaque all the way through.

Garnish with lemon and/or lime wedges.

For a slightly fancier version you could serve the steelhead with a coconut sauce:

Combine ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce) or regular soy sauce and ¼ cup fresh lime juice in a small saucepan and heat gently. Ladle sauce onto a plate and place fillets on top.