Pignola-Crusted Snapper with Wisconsin Artisan Cheese

Category: Entrée
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Coating:

1 1/2 cups toasted pignolas (pine nuts)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon crumbled rosemary
1/2 cup freshly-grated Wisconsin Parmesan cheese
kosher salt, to taste
freshly-ground white pepper, to taste

4 - 6-ounce red snapper fillets*
2 large eggs, whisked with 2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk
3 to 4 tablespoons mild olive oil
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Wisconsin Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh basil, in chiffonade
1/4 cup finely-chopped scallion greens
lemon slices for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F. Combine pignolas, flour, rosemary, salt and pepper in food processor and pulse until it's the texture of fine bread crumbs, but not pasty. Mix with the Wisconsin Parmesan and spread on a sheet of wax paper. Dry filets, then dip them in egg mixture, then coat in the Pignola-Parmesan mixture. Press coating on gently to assure it adheres. If time permits, chill on a rack 30 to 45 minutes.

Combine Wisconsin Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese, white pepper to taste, cream and basil, set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide, heavy skillet to medium high, add 2 of the filets. When a crust forms and the fish moves easily, turn and brown briefly. Remove, add remaining oil and repeat with the last two filets. Return all filets to the skillet and finish cooking them in the oven until opaque when pierced with a knife tip, or until they reach a desired doneness. Remove from oven and serve each filet on a large "dollop" of Italian-Style Gorgonzola cheese-basil cream. Garnish filets with prepared scallion greens and lemon. Serve hot.

*If great snapper is temporarily unavailable, substitute small, brook trout, salmon trout or sea bass filets, cleaned and ready to cook.

Recipe © 2006 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.