Crispy Halibut Nuggets with Pineapple Sauce

Update: Good can be better. I initially posted this crispy halibut nuggets with pineapple sauce almost a year ago but I am currently in a slow process of replacing most of the horrid photos I took then. This dish was top priority to be retaken as its picture was just plain…UGLY. The photo now still needs work but it is a considerable improvement from what I had, I hope. Also, I decided to revisit the recipe and ended up re-tweaking it a bit. I hope you’d welcome the addition of fresh ginger juice, which, I think, does wonders to the sauce.

Usually, the asian supermarket I go to carry halibut in collars which, although excellent in soups, do not have enough meat to be prepared in another type of dish. So, it was nice suprise to see halibut fillets on sale for $2.99 in the store last weekend and the two I bought were put into good use in this crispy halibut nuggets with pineapple sauce dish experimentation.

Makes 4 Servings

2 lbs boneless halibut fillets
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced to strips
1/2 cup green bell pepper, sliced to strips
1/2 small onion, sliced to strips
1 tsp juice from fresh ginger
1 tbsp tomato catsup
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp seasoning sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
1 egg
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cornstarch
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Cut halibut fillets into 1-inch serving cubes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Whisk together the 4 tbsps cornstarch and egg.

In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil, enough to cover the fish during frying. Dip and coat halibut cubes in cornstarch mixture. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

In another skillet, heat a little oil. Saute pineapple cubes until with a very slight tinge of brown, around 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, adding more oil as necessary, saute onions until slightly tender. Remove and set aside. Saute red and bell peppers until slightly tender. Remove and set aside.

Peel and grate fresh ginger and draw juice by squeezing fibers. Combine pineapple juice, catsup, vinegar, ginger juice and sugar. Dissolve 1 tsp cornstarch in pineapple mixture. Mix well, eliminating lumps.

Pour into skillet, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce is slightly thickened, add halibut, onions, peppers and pineapple cubes. Stir and combine until ingredients are fully coated with pineapple sauce. Allow to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until peppers are tender, yet crisp.

Serve hot over a bowl of rice.

TIPS:
1) You can substitute boneless chicken cubes or pork for the fish.
2) Try mango slices in place of pineapple cubes.

 

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