Pistachio Crusted Fish

Why This Recipe

I have been really in a pistachio phase lately and I thought to myself, why not make a pistachio crusted fish? Nuts and fish go great together. Unless of course, you have a nut and fish allergy, then of course, not such a great combo. But this pistachio crusted fish or in my case, pistachio crusted sea bass was so moist and delicious. I hope this pistachio phase turns more into a pistachio season because this recipe is outrageous.

I'm not a huge fan of bread crumbs on their own, but herb them up, add some nuts and cheese, and now we have some fat in there. Some juice for the fish. The topping for this pistachio crusted fish keeps all the juice and moisture contained between itself and the parchment paper, so when you cut into the fish, it is buttery, flaky, and tender. Serve it along side some Italian Lentils or Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan) for the perfect meal!

Cooking fish is a fear for a lot of people, and rightfully so. It can be so expensive and if you screw it up, it is basically inedible. My one piece of advice for people who want to cook fish is to get an instant-read thermometer. We've cooked chicken and beef are whole lives, so we have a frame of reference for when they are done cooking. But I don't cook anything without my thermometer anymore. I cook things to the exact temperature I want, and everything is perfectly juicy, especially my seafood.

Substitutions and Ingredient Notes

Herbs. You can add and change fresh herbs as you please, or you can substitute dry herbs. If you do substitute dry herbs, change tablespoon to teaspoon so that you're not overpowering the dish.

Parmesan. You could substitute pecorino romano or grana padano if necessary. I used parmesan and grana padano during the trial stages and both were great!

Pistachios. Cashews could be a good alternative if you have them in the pantry! Just toast them up before you process them for maximum flavor.

Sea Bass. I used a black sea bass in this recipe and it was unbelievably tasty. Black sea bass is one of the best-tasting fish in the ocean. It is buttery, tender, and light in flavor. You could substitute another white flaky fish, like halibut, cod, or flounder.

*Please see the recipe card below for information on ingredients.

How to make it

This is an easy recipe to follow. It's a perfect weeknight dinner. It takes less than 30 minutes to make. All you will need on the side is some asparagus and rice!

Preparing sea bass

I learned about fish bones the ignorant way. By biting into a sea bass with bones in it. Since then, I've done more research. Now, I debone the fish before broiling it. My wife is much happier about it.

The bones of the sea bass run towards the head, or the fat part, of the fish. I remove them by using tweezers or small kitchen tongs. hold the fish down with the bone locked between two fingers, like a peace sign. Gently twist and pull the tip of the bone until it loosens and then remove it.

Combining the pistachio and breadcrumb mixture

Preheat oven to 425℉. Process the pistachios in a mini food processor or roughly chop them up into very fine pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, pistachios, parmesan, herbs, salt, garlic, and olive oil. Add more olive oil if it seems too dry. It should be able to hold its shape if it were rolled in a ball

Place the fish on the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Top each fish with half of the mixture and pat it on top so that it sticks to the fish. The topping helps keep the fish more moist and allows for a little leeway if you overcook by a minute or two, but I still use my instant-read thermometer.

Cook the fish in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the fish reaches 145℉. I always make sure to test the temperature. Everyone has a different oven. Every piece of fish is different. 10 minutes is about the right time, but 1-2 minutes overcooked can be the difference between dry and moist fish.

What should I serve it with?

• Serve this with a side of vegetables like Asparagus or maple bacon brussels sprouts and rice!
• I also love this with pasta so you could make some Garlicky Cauliflower Pasta or lemon pasta with spinach!
• A bowl of soup on the side would be a perfect match! Maybe serve it with a bowl of classic Italian minestrone or pasta fagioli.
• A great side dish that would complete the meal would be the Italian cabbage!

Recipe FAQs