Cajun Halibut with Praline Sauce Over Dirty Rice

We branched out of recipe repertoire big time and boy did it pay off!  The recipe was a little complicated in that it had a few moving parts between the rice, the sauce and grilling the fish but overall it was an easy enough dish to make and it was delicious!

I saw the recipe on where else...Pinterest and it looked yummy so I decided to try it out.  Only thing is (in case you, like me, don't already know this)...halibut is PRICEY.  Ours was $29.99 per pound.  It was more expensive than the Kobe beef at our market.  But, it was delish.  That said, I think any mild, white, flaky fish would work.  Mahi might be a good cost effective option.

The recipe we used is from here but I also copied it below.

INGREDIENTS

For the dirty rice:
1 link Italian sausage, casing removed
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup long grain white rice
1½ cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
½ cup chopped scallions

For the praline sauce:
½ cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Pinch of coarse salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. whiskey (or apple juice)

For the fish:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz. each)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the grill to medium-high.
• To make the dirty rice, crumble the sausage into a skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook until starting to brown, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the olive oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook until just softened, 2-3 minutes more.  Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute.  Mix in the broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir in the scallions.  Fluff with a fork and serve.
• While the rice is cooking, make the praline sauce.  Toast the pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the pecans to a plate and set aside.  Return the pan to medium heat.  Combine the sugar and water, bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the toasted pecans and salt, and cook 1-2 minutes more.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and whiskey until smooth.  The sauce may thicken upon standing, but can be rewarmed over low heat.
• To prepare the fish, combine the oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to blend.  Pat the mixture over both sides of the fish.
• Oil the grates of the grill.  Grill until the fish is cooked through and the fillets release easily, about 3 minutes per side.  Serve over the dirty rice and topped with the warm praline sauce.