This recipe is from The Dairy Gourmet by Sarah Lasry. We first enjoyed this dish at Toby E’s house and were instantly enamored. I have a copy of that cookbook, and I prepare the vegetable lasagna all the time, so how did I manage to skip this gem? I now prepare this dish often, with either seabass or salmon. I wanted to publish the recipe in Chic Made Simple because of all the pistachio-crusted fish recipes I’ve experimented with, this one deserves another dose of recognition. No doubt the addition of crispy onions and all that fresh basil is responsible for its success.
The eggplant puree that I’ve added to the original recipe is an optional addition. I include a little tahini in the puree, which renders a more nuanced sauce. To serve, either spoon the eggplant puree on the side or place a mound of puree in the center of the plate and position the fish on top.