Curry-Butter Rockfish with Sweet Potato Mash, Squid and Spring Vegetables, and Chocolate Tahini

Curry-Butter Rockfish

A brief sear gives the delicate fish a little color, while gentle butter-basting blooms the curry spices without scorching them. Lemon keeps the buttery finish from feeling heavy.

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb boneless, skinless rockfish fillets
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• 1½ tsp gluten-free mild curry powder
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Check the fish for pin bones, pat thoroughly dry, and cut into large pieces about 2–3 inches across. Season with the salt.
2. Heat the ghee in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until lightly golden underneath.
3. Turn carefully and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, then stir the curry powder into the melted butter at the edge of the pan.
4. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming curry butter over the fish for 2–4 minutes, adjusting the heat so the spices do not darken or catch. Cook until the thickest pieces reach 145°F and flake with gentle pressure.
5. Remove from the heat and stir the lemon juice into the pan butter. Taste the butter for salt and spoon it over the fish and mash when serving.

Notes

• Thin fillet pieces will finish before thicker ones; transfer them to a warm plate as they are ready.
• If the curry butter begins to brown too quickly, take the pan off the heat briefly and add a teaspoon of water.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Orange sweet potatoes provide a naturally sweet, earthy base for the curry butter. Steaming keeps the mash concentrated rather than watery.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2–4 tbsp hot water, as needed
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Bring an inch of water to a simmer under a steamer basket. Add the sweet potatoes, cover, and steam for 20–25 minutes, until completely tender when pierced.
2. Transfer to a bowl or warm saucepan and let excess steam escape for 2 minutes.
3. Mash with the butter and salt, adding hot water a tablespoon at a time until soft and spreadable but still able to hold a shallow well.
4. Cover and keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust the salt before serving.

Notes

• A hand masher gives the slightly textured finish visible on the plate; use a ricer for a smoother version.

Squid, Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, and Sugar Snap Peas

Cooking the mushrooms, peas, and squid separately prevents steaming and lets each reach its ideal texture. They come together only at the end, keeping the squid tender and the peas crisp.

Ingredients

• ¾ lb cleaned squid tubes and tentacles
• 8 oz lion’s mane mushrooms
• 12 oz sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 2½ tbsp avocado oil, divided
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp water, only if needed

Instructions

1. Cut the squid tubes crosswise into broad ¾–1-inch rings. Halve any large tentacle clusters. Pat very dry and refrigerate while preparing the vegetables.
2. Tear or slice the lion’s mane into broad pieces about ½ inch thick. Wipe away any debris without soaking the mushrooms.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook for 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until their moisture has evaporated and the edges are golden. Season with a pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl.
4. Add ½ tablespoon oil and the snap peas. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until bright green with a few blistered spots but still crisp. Add the scallion whites and garlic for the final 30 seconds. If the peas need a little help softening, add the water and let it evaporate completely. Transfer to the mushroom bowl.
5. Raise the heat to high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Lightly salt the squid immediately before adding it. Sear in two batches for about 1–2 minutes each, tossing once, until opaque and just firm; the thickest pieces should reach 145°F. Transfer each batch out promptly rather than letting it simmer in released liquid.
6. Return the vegetables and squid to the pan just long enough to combine. Turn off the heat, add the scallion greens and lemon juice, and adjust the salt. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Use a large, well-heated skillet and keep the squid in a single layer; crowding makes it release water and turn rubbery.
• The lemon should brighten the vegetables without creating a wet sauce.

Chocolate Tahini with Kumquats, Dried Fruit, Cocoa Nibs, and Coconut

Tahini and cocoa make a dense, bittersweet base without needing melted chocolate. Fresh kumquats cut through its richness, while dried fruit, cocoa nibs, and coconut supply contrasting chew and crunch.

Ingredients

• ½ cup well-stirred tahini
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• ⅓–½ cup warm water, as needed
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 8 kumquats, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup unsweetened dried persimmon pieces
• ¼ cup unsweetened dried apple slices, broken into pieces
• 2 tbsp cocoa nibs
• ¼ cup unsweetened toasted coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Whisk the tahini, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt together in a bowl.
2. Gradually whisk in ⅓ cup warm water. The mixture may tighten at first; continue whisking until glossy and smooth. Add more water a teaspoon at a time until it has the consistency of thick pudding.
3. Divide among four small bowls. Let stand for 10 minutes, or refrigerate while making dinner; loosen with a few drops of water if it becomes too firm.
4. Just before serving, arrange the kumquats, dates, dried persimmons, dried apples, cocoa nibs, and coconut flakes in distinct clusters over the chocolate tahini.

Notes

• Keep the base moderately bittersweet: the dates and dried persimmons provide much of the dessert’s sweetness.
• Use dried fruit without added sugar and keep the crisp toppings separate until serving.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The mash and dessert base can wait, leaving only the two quick seafood preparations for the final minutes. Separate skillets let the fish finish gently while the squid cooks hot and fast.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Put the sweet potatoes on to steam. Mix the chocolate tahini, portion it into bowls, and set aside or refrigerate.
2. 0:10 — Slice the dessert toppings, trim the peas, prepare the mushrooms and aromatics, and cut and dry both seafoods. Keep the seafood chilled until needed.
3. 0:25 — Mash the sweet potatoes and hold covered over very low heat. Set out warm dinner plates.
4. 0:30 — Brown the mushrooms, then cook the peas and aromatics in the same skillet. Transfer them out and keep nearby.
5. 0:40 — Begin searing the rockfish in a second skillet. Lower its heat and add the curry butter for basting.
6. 0:44 — Sear the squid in batches in the vegetable skillet, then briefly toss with the mushrooms, peas, scallion greens, and lemon.
7. 0:50 — Check the fish for doneness, finish its butter with lemon, and plate both savory preparations immediately.
8. After dinner — Add the fruit, nibs, and coconut to the chocolate tahini and serve.

Notes

• Allow roughly 50–60 minutes total. If cooking alone, have the vegetables ready before starting either seafood.

Plating

Keeping the two savory preparations side by side preserves their contrast instead of coating the crisp vegetables in curry butter.

Instructions

1. Spread a generous oval of sweet potato mash on one side of each warm plate, leaving a shallow well in the center.
2. Arrange the rockfish pieces over the mash and spoon the warm curry butter over and around them.
3. Mound the squid, mushrooms, and peas on the other side, distributing the rings, tentacles, and browned mushrooms visibly over the peas. Leave a little space between the two preparations.
4. Serve the chocolate tahini separately in small bowls, with the toppings grouped rather than stirred through.

Leftover Path

Separate storage protects the vegetables from soaking in butter and keeps the dessert toppings crisp. Gentle reheating is especially important for both kinds of seafood.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the fish with its curry butter, the mash, and the squid-vegetable mixture in separate shallow airtight containers within 2 hours. Use the seafood within 1–2 days and the mash within 3–4 days.
2. Reheat the mash with a splash of water. Warm the fish, covered, with its butter over low heat; heat leftovers to 165°F, avoiding a prolonged simmer.
3. For the squid mixture, reheat only the portion needed, quickly and covered with a small splash of water, until it reaches 165°F. Expect the peas to soften and the squid to become firmer on reheating.
4. Refrigerate the chocolate tahini base for up to 4 days and the sliced kumquats separately for up to 2 days. Store the dried fruit, cocoa nibs, and coconut dry and add just before eating.