Served in a turmeric broth & topped with salsa verde, this dish from Chef Daniel Causgrove makes use of tripletail, a fish that’s growing in popularity in south Louisiana.
Yields: 4
- Canola oil
- 1 pound shrimp heads or shells
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 head fennel, tops and bottom roughly chopped
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic
- 2 ounces thyme
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- Peel and juice of 1 lemon plus 4 ounces fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1 gallon water
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 pounds mixed baby squash, oblique cut
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 serrano chile pepper, chopped (including seeds)
- 1 cup picked fresh parsley
- 1 cup picked fresh cilantro
- ½ cup picked fresh mint
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 (4- to 5-ounce) skinned tripletail fillets
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter, divided
- 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and blanched
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- Garnish: sliced radish, microgreens
- Heat a large pot over high heat, and add a thin layer of canola oil. Add shrimp heads; cook until evenly pink. Add onion and celery; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, and stir to evenly distribute. Stir in wine, and cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon, until wine is reduced by half. Add fennel, garlic cloves, thyme, bunch parsley, and peel and juice of 1 lemon. Add 1 gallon water and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, and season to taste with salt and remaining 4 ounces lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, place squash and gochujang paste. Season with salt to taste, and mix until gochujang is evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes.
- In the container of a blender, place lime juice, chopped garlic, serrano, picked parsley, cilantro, and mint; blend quickly on high until herbs are fully puréed. Reduce speed to medium. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified. Season with salt to taste. Set salsa verde aside.
- Preheat oven to 425Ëš. Season tripletail fillets with salt to taste. In a cast-iron skillet, heat canola oil over high heat. Add tripletail fillets; sear until golden brown. Turn fillets, and roast in oven until 75 percent done. Remove from oven, and add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Let melt until frothy, and baste fish until fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, sauté corn and green beans with marinated squash. Add a little water, and cook until corn is fully cooked. Finish with cherry tomatoes, remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and salt. Reheat turmeric broth, and spoon into a wide bowl. Spoon corn mixture into center of bowl. Place roasted tripletail on corn mixture. Top with salsa verde. Garnish with radish and microgreens, if desired.
