BREADED HALIBUT CHEEKS

Breaded Halibut Cheeks image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 cups fresh bread crumbs
4 ounces Parmesan or other hard cheese (page 23), shredded (1 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk
8 to 12 halibut cheeks or 2 pounds skinless halibut fillets, cut on the bias into 8 pieces

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Put the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a food processor. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Process until the bread crumbs are coated in the oil, about 15 seconds.
In three separate bowls, place the bread crumb mixture, flour, and eggs. Add the milk to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Put a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes. Dredge 1 halibut cheek in the flour and shake off any excess. Then dip the cheek in the eggs and then in the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs lightly to coat the flesh evenly. Repeat the process with each piece of fish. Remove the pan from the oven and place the pieces on the hot baking sheet.
Bake the cheeks for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bread crumb coating is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the halibut reads 140˚F. If additional cooking time is needed, continue to bake the fish, checking the temperature at 2-minute intervals. If you have a convection oven, turn it on for this recipe, as it makes the cheeks a beautiful brown color, but reduce the cooking time to 5 or 6 minutes total.
Serve immediately.