By Ari Lindgren

Pairing with Chardonnay, Mendocino

This twist on the traditional pesto recipe is great with pasta. Truth be told, an accidental discovery yielded this pairing with seared halibut. The secret for the fish, and I think we've mentioned it before, is cooking over high heat with grapeseed oil in the pan to give the fish a lovely golden crust on the outside. The flavors, subtle nuttiness and herbaceous summery anise, play a beautiful crescendo when a sip of Mendocino Chardonnay cascades down the palette, it's like a gastronomical Midsummer Night's Dream. We've made the pesto recipe extra large so that you can have some extra to toss on some penne or linguine at a later time. We recommend cashews over pine nuts for this recipe, and Grana Padano parmesan over Parmigiano Reggiano

For the pesto:

• 3 bunches of basil, about 1 lb.
• 1 1/4 cup cashews
• 8 oz. grated parmesan, preferably Grana Padano
• 1 1/4 cup tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the Halibut

• 4 steaks or fillets of halibut, equivalent to two pounds
• Salt for seasoning, we recommend Navarro Vineyards Fumée de Sel
• Grapeseed oil for sautéing, about ¼ cup or so

To make the pesto, combine the ingredients in a food processor beginning with the cashews and ending with the Olive Oil. Drizzle in the Olive Oil until the proper consistency of the pesto is achieved. It is important to make sure the consistency doesn't get too runny. It should be thick yet able to spread.

To cook the fish, heat a large size iron or non-stick skillet on medium high heat and get the grapeseed oil to the smoking point. Carefully place the halibut and cook for about 5 minutes, or until there is a golden crust on one side. Flip the halibut over and cook for about a minute or two, then serve immediately. We prefer to put the pesto on the side vs. spreading it on top, so each bite of the fish stays crispy.

Serves: 4