Orange Roughy With Crab Bearnaise

At Phil Trani's, I often ordered the same dish: crab stuffed halibut nestled on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and topped with bearnaise sauce.

I haven't been there for years but I've managed to create my own version of the dish. Instead of halibut, I used an orange roughy fillet for its sweet flavor. The fillet was panfried in equal parts butter and olive oil, after being seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly floured. I also skipped the mashed potatoes, and instead of using the crab for stuffing, I added it to the bearnaise sauce.

I used this bearnaise sauce recipe from Sara Moulton, which I made with white wine vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar she called for. The steamed crab meat was added at the last minute and cooked only until it was heated through.

This rich dish goes best with a simple side of steamed young asparagus or garlic sauteed spinach. A nice glass of pinot noir would also pair well with the meal.

Label(s): Food

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