Chef Angela Persicke

If you need a centerpiece dish for your holiday table, look no further than this rich, savory dish.

Ingredients:

SAUCE

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped (30g)
• 2 tsp / 10 g butter
• 3⁄4 cup / 175 ml dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc or equivalent dryness) divided
• 3⁄4 cup / 175 ml  seafood or fish stock
• 1⁄4 cup/ 60 ml lemon juice
• 1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream
• 1⁄2 tsp / a pinch of kosher salt
• 1⁄2 tsp / 3 g white pepper
• 2 tsp / thyme leaves (3-4 sprigs)
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 2g)
• 3 tbsp / 30 g capers, rinsed + drained 

PASTA

• 1 cup / 200 g orzo pasta
• 4 cups / 0.9 liters water
• 1 cup / 240 ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp / 2-3 pinches of kosher salt
• 2 tbsp / 30 ml lemon juice
• 1 cup / 30 g baby spinach 

FISH

• 2  fillets of Dutch Yellowtail (1 package) from @WholeFoods, defrosted
• 1 tsp / a pinch of kosher salt
• 1⁄2 tsp / 3 g  white pepper
• 3 tbsp / 45 g unsalted butter
• Fresh thyme + lemon wedges

Preparation:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft (not brown). Add ½ cup of wine and reduce “au sec” until liquid is almost gone (~ 10 min).

• Add remaining wine and reduce (~ 5-10 min).

• Add fish stock and lemon juice. Reduce to about ⅓  of a cup of liquid. Add cream. Stir or whisk. Add salt, white pepper, thyme leaves, and lemon zest—stir. Reduce sauce slowly, stir until thickened. Stir in  capers. Remove sauce from heat or maintain on low heat while you prepare orzo.

• Bring water, vegetable stock and salt to boil in large saucepan. Add orzo and cook “al dente” (~6-12 min). Put spinach in large bowl. When the orzo is done, drain and immediately add the orzo to the spinach. Mix until spinach wilts. Add lemon juice.

• Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Place fish in butter and cook. Baste top of fish with butter (~3-4 min a side). Remove fish and serve with orzo and sauce under and on top of fish. Garnish with fresh thyme and lemon wedges.