Pistachio Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon or Pork Chops

Published:  01/13/2018

Pistachio Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

I love a friend's "famous" honey mustard pork chops crusted with panko and chopped walnuts. I have adapted that recipe to work with walnuts or pistachios. In my experimentation with the recipe I found that this preparation method works equally well with either salmon or pork chops. And if you are looking for a breading recipe for baked eggplant, this one works really well.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 5

Prepping the salmon

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds salmon fillet
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons Dijon or Honey Mustard
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs (Whole Wheat is preferable)
• 1/3 cup Parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Let the salmon sit out for 20 minutes at room temperature before start to cook. You can preheat your oven to 400°F during this time.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Place salmon on baking sheet cut the fillet into 5 pieces and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place mustard, honey, oil or butter and garlic in a small bowl. Put in the microwave on 60% power, watch carefully, just until butter is melted. Then mix to combine.
5. Place pistachios, panko bread crumbs, and parsley in a pie pan or other flat container in separate "piles". Right before you are ready to bread the fish mix to combine.
6. Dip salmon fillets into the mustard, honey, garlic butter sauce to coat on all sides.
7. Press each salmon fillet into the nut-crumb mixture and coat on all sides. Place on foil lined sheet.
8. Bake salmon for about 12-15 minutes or until salmon reaches your desired doneness. Most chefs will tell you to cook salmon to 125 degrees, the FDA recommends 145 degrees. Cooking time will depend on how thick your salmon is so use a meat thermometer for best results. Push the tip of the meat thermometer gently into the middle of the salmon fillet at its thickest part.

Pistachio Crusted Honey Mustard Pork Chops

The best pork chops are center-cut loin chops or center-cut rib chops that are one inch thick. Whether you go with a loin chop or a rib chop, you'll have better results with bone-in pork chops. Not only does the bone contribute flavor, it also helps the pork chop stay nice and juicy.

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 15 mins and 10 minutes rest for meat
• Total time: 25-35 mins
• Author: Maria Faires, RD
• Serves: 5

• Five 1 inch thick enter-cut loin chops or center-cut rib chops, bone-in
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped (walnuts work too)
• ¼ cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Let the pork chops sit out for 20 minutes at room temperature before start to cook. You can preheat your oven to 375°F during this time.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
3. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Place chops on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place mustard, honey, butter and garlic in a small bowl. Put in the microwave on 60% power, watch carefully, just until butter is melted. Then mix to combine.
5. Place pistachios, panko bread crumbs, and parsley in a medium bowl, mix to combine.
6. Spoon mustard, honey, garlic butter sauce on each chop and coat top and sides.
7. Take about ½ of bread crumb mixture and cover each chop, add more as needed. If you have extra, cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to five days.
8. Bake the chops for about 15 minutes and begin to test the temperature. Bake until the chops reach 145 degrees. Cooking time will depend on how thick your chops are so use a meat thermometer. Push the tip of the meat thermometer gently into the middle of the pork at its thickest part.
9. After you take the chops out of the oven, don't touch them for 5 minutes. Let the juices settle before serving and you will have a more tender chop.