Pan-fried Halibut with Louisiana-style Crawfish and Chorizo Sauce

This recipe was inspired by a trip to Louisiana. I ordered potato chip-crusted, deep-fried halibut with creamy crawfish sauce, at a restaurant in Lafayette. I later adapted the recipe to a pan-fried version, which cuts the carb count and creates a cleaner tasting dish. If you can’t find crawfish, use crab meat, lobster, or shrimp.

Makes: 4 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 20 MINUTES

Cooking Time: 15 MINUTES

ingredients

40 live crawfish (or 6 ounces prepared crawfish meat)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
3 ounces (85 g) Spanish chorizo sausage, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cup (60 ml) red wine
¼ stick (30 g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons tomato purée
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) heavy/double cream
1 pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 x 6 ounce (170 g) halibut filets

directions

1. Prepare the crawfish: bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the crawfish, cover with a lid, and cook for five minutes. Drain the crawfish and run under cold water to cool.

2. When the crawfish are cooled, remove their tails by twisting them, discard the head and claws, then crack open the tail and remove the meat. Rinse the meat under the tap to clean it then set aside.

3. Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions, and chorizo. Sauté for four minutes until softened, add the garlic, spices, and red wine, and cook until the red wine has evaporated. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the halibut, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately five minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the crawfish meat and keep the sauce warm.

4. Season the halibut filets with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the halibut and cook for approximately three minutes on each side until just cooked in the middle and golden and crispy on the outside.

5. To serve, place a spoonful of sauce on each plate and top with the halibut. Spoon more sauce over the fish, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and serve immediately.