Warm Pistachio Soup
In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine olive oil, onion, thyme, garlic, and pistachio kernels. Sauté for about five minutes, or until golden brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about twenty minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When finished, pour saucepan contents into a blender and mix on high. Strain through a small sieve and set aside.

Garnish
In a large sauté pan, on medium heat, combine olive oil, onion, butternut squash, fennel, celery root, and carrots. Sauté for about five minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add white wine and bring to a boil until all the liquid is gone. When the liquid has evaporated, add the chicken broth and continue to boil until all the liquid is gone and the vegetables are cooked through. Set aside.

Pistachio Pesto topping
Combine basil, garlic, potato, pistachio kernels, and salt in a mortar and mash it together. When it starts to break down a bit, gradually add the olive oil and continue to mash it all together.

After it has been mixed well, add the lemon juice and mix together. Set aside.

Assembly
Add salt and pepper to the halibut cubes and sauté in a medium sized sauté pan on medium high for about two minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Place a towel on a plate, and when fish is golden brown, pour the cooked fish on top of the towel (to remove excess oil).

In a separate shallow bowl, pour in some of the hot pistachio soup with a ladle, add vegetables on top, and place about five or six cubes of halibut on top of the vegetables.

Sprinkle the pistachio pesto topping over the soup and finish with some extra virgin olive oil over the dish.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Grenache blanc

Equipment, smallware and tools: Large saucepan, medium and large sauté pan, blender, small sieve, plate, shallow bowl, ladle, spatula, mortar & pestle, 10-inch (25 cm) dinner plate or large platter.