Nut Crusted Halibut with Vegetable Curry

Nut Crusted Halibut with Vegetable Curry
serves 6

Ingredients:
FOR CURRY BASE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup minced chopped peeled ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
3 cups carrot juice
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
15 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
4 cups 1 inch pieces of mixed vegetables, such as zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red pepper, shitake (or other) mushrooms
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
FOR NUT CRUSTED HALIBUT
3/4 cup gound nuts such as macadamia or almond (process in food processor, until crumbly, not paste)
6  5-ounce pieces of Halibut or other thick mild white fleshed fish filets (skinless)
sea salt
1-2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chiffonade basil, mint and cilantro (your choice here)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirirng occasionally, until veges are soft, 10-12 minutes.
Increase heat to medium high and add the curry paste. Cook constantly until paste is incorporated, 2-3 minutes. Add carrot juice and broth, bring to boil on high heat and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until juice is reduced by half about 15-20 minutes.
Strain curry through a sieve into a large bowl, discard solids from sieve. Return the liquid to the same pot, add the coconut milk and mixed vegetables.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until veges are just tender, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and turn off heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place ground nuts in a wide shallow dish.  Season both sides of fish with salt.  Whisk egg white(s) in  another wide shallow bowl until frothy.  Dip top of fish in the egg white and then dredge in ground nuts, pressing to adhere.  Transfer to a plate, crust side up.
Heat oil in a large oven proof skillet, over medium high heat.
Place fish, crust side down, in pan.  Cook until nuts are golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Turn over fillets and transfer skillet to oven.  Bake until fish is just opaque in center, 4-6 minutes.
Reheat curry, do not boil.
Divide curry among wide soup bowls, or soup plates.  Top with fish, crust side up.

Garnish with the fresh herbs.  Serve with cooked white or brown basmati rice on the side if you like.
I grilled some of the eggplant just to give the dish extra appeal, totally optional.