Top Chef

Welcome to the kitchen, chefs!

For today’s Quickfire Challenge, you’ll need to whip up a delectable, mouthwatering dish themed around Hawaiian Fusion cuisine.

The winning dish must include perfectly balanced portions of aloha, fresh Island seafood and local seasonings.

To help, you’ll have access to the following recipe courtesy of Chef Roy Yamaguchi, James Beard Award recipient and owner of the world-renowned Roy’s restaurants.

For extra pointers, you can also check out Yamaguchi’s appearance on tonight’s episode of Top Chef Masters on Bravo, when he’ll compete against other acclaimed chefs to win $100,000 for Imua Family Services, a Hawai‘i-based charity dedicated to helping children with special needs.

You have 30 minutes to complete this challenge.  Your time starts now!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Two 6-7 oz portions of mahi mahi
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped then toasted until golden brown
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Using a wire whisk, whip butter and macadamia nuts vigorously.  Add breadcrumbs and whip for one minute, without over-mixing.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Season the mahi mahi with salt and pepper.  Spread macadamia nut crust over one side of the fish.  Sear the crusted side over medium heat until edges are golden brown.  Gently flip the fish over and cook to desired doneness.  Chef recommends about 2 minutes on each side.

Watch Roy Yamaguchi on Top Chef Masters, tonight at 9 p.m. on Bravo (channel 40 on Oceanic cable, channel 560 on Oceanic digital). For more info on the show, click here.