Pan-fried pangasius on asparagus risotto with roasted cherry tomatoes

Pangasius may be less well known than salmon or tuna, but it’s super tasty and versatile. Enjoy this delicious pangasius recipe as a dinner for two.

Risotto

1. Use a blender or mortar and pestle to mix a pesto of parsley, oil, water, lemon and a pinch of salt.
2. Cut the asparagus diagonally into thin slices. Leave the heads whole.
3. Peel and finely dice the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it is translucent. Add the rice and sauté another minute or two.
4. Deglaze the pan with white wine, then let the rice cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, slowly adding the broth a few spoonfuls at a time. Let the rice soak up the broth before adding more.
5. Add the asparagus to the pan 5 minutes before the risotto is done. Add 2 spoonfuls of pesto to the risotto just before you take it off the heat. Use the rest as a garnish later.

Tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 250 C.
2. While the risotto is cooking, place the tomatoes in an oven proof dish along with other ingredients and bake for 10 minutes, until the tomato skins begin to split.

Pangasius

1. Rinse the pangasius filets with cold water and pat dry.
2. Mix flour with lemon zest. Salt and pepper filets on both sides, then coat them well with the lemon flour.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the fish on high heat for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the butter. Cook for 2 more minutes, using a tablespoon to baste the fish with the melted butter. Deglaze with lemon juice.

To serve

1. Create a bed of risotto on which to nest the pangasius filets and roasted tomatoes. Garnish with pesto and parsley leaves.