Citrus Macadamia Nut Sole

Growing up, my mom used to make nut-topped fish nearly every week. Her recipe would change from time to time, but the basics always included butter and some kind of light or white fish. Try this with flounder or halibut if you prefer.

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOKING TIME

15 minutes

YIELD

3-4 servings 





Ingredients

1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Zest of one orange

1 lb lemon sole, or other white fish

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

CHANGE IT UP

Use another type of nut if you prefer, and try it with lemon or lime zest instead of orange.

NUTS

EGGS

NIGHTSHADES

FODMAPS

Preheat oven on a low broil setting.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the macadamia nuts and orange zest. Set aside.

Place the lemon sole on a baking sheet, season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, then top evenly with the butter or coconut oil and nut/zest topping.

Place the fish in the broiler and cook approximately 10 minutes or until opaque white all the way through.

MACADAMIA-CRUSTED DUCK BREAST WITH SPICY “SOY” GINGER SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup/120 g macadamia nuts

4 duck breast halves, boneless, skin on

sea salt and pepper

1 tbsp/15 g duck fat or ghee

2 tsp/15 g raw honey

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 cup/240 g shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, minced

1 tbsp/8 g fresh ginger, grated

¼ cup/60 ml coconut aminos

2 tbsp/30 ml fresh lime juice

1 tsp/7 g raw honey

SERVES 4

Coconut aminos are a great Paleo substitute for soy sauce. They have a similar salty flavor, with a slight hint of sweetness. I use real soy sauce made from fermented soybeans as a condiment. Soybeans have a high level of phytates, which tend to block the body’s absorption of minerals. However, fermentation substantially reduces levels of phytic acid, so fermented soy is preferable.

In recipes such as this one, I prefer the subtler flavor of coconut aminos to soy sauce. The bold flavors of this spicy sauce complement the creaminess and rich flavor of the duck

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Place macadamia nuts in a food processor and blend until crushed. Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Generously season both sides of the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Add the duck fat or ghee to the pan, then add the duck skin-side down. Brown until the skin has a nice golden crust, about 5 minutes. Flip over and brown the other side for 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the duck breasts to a glass baking dish, skin-side up. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Spoon ½ teaspoon of honey on the skin side of each duck breast. Spoon enough of the crushed macadamia nuts over the honey so the entire top of the duck breast is covered. Make sure the breast is well coated. Do this to the remaining duck breasts. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes medium well.

While the duck breasts are roasting, make the sauce. Using the same pan that the duck was seared in, drain all but about 1 tablespoon/15 ml of fat. Add the shallots. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño and ginger. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the coconut aminos, lime juice and honey. Simmer until slightly reduced. Adjust salt to taste. Remove duck breast from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes and serve drizzled with sauce.