Pan-Seared Sea Trout

with Butternut Squash Puree, Parsnips, and Crispy Herbs

Makes 4 servings

Make this whenever you find yourself in the dead of winter yet yearning for a lighter fish dish. I brighten up a butternut squash puree with ginger, orange juice, and the slightly tropical flavors of coconut water and coconut oil, and pair it with sweet, flaky trout.

Butternut Squash Puree

• ½ medium butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
• One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• ½ red finger chile, roughly chopped (with seeds)
• ¾ cup coconut water
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and cook until the squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Pan-Roasted Parsnips and Squash

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup butternut squash, cut into ½-inch batons
• 1 cup medium parsnips, sliced on the bias into ½-inch pieces
• Kosher salt

In each of two medium skillets, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the squash to one pan and the parsnips to the other, season with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes for the squash and 12 minutes for the parsnips. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.

For Serving

• Four 5-ounce sea trout fillets with skin
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup small basil leaves
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• Pan-Roasted Parsnips and Squash
• Butternut Squash Puree
• Lemon wedges
• Flaky sea salt

Pat the trout dry and season both sides with kosher salt. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Place the fish, skin side down, in the pan and cook, pressing with a spatula, until the skin is browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Turn the trout over and continue cooking until the flesh is opaque, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and wipe out the skillet.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the basil and mint and fry, stirring frequently, until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsnips and squash and cook until heated through.

Divide the squash puree among four shallow serving bowls or plates. Divide the vegetables and herbs over the squash. Top with a piece of fish and spoon some of the oil from the crispy herbs over. Squeeze some lemon over each serving, season with flaky salt, and serve.

The Takeaway

When I was developing the recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash with Spicy Granola and Apple Gastrique, I loved how the coconut and ginger in the granola tasted with the squash, and I wanted to explore that flavor combination in a squash puree. Cooking with coconut is common in Indian and other Asian food cultures, but I didn’t want the heavy richness that coconut milk brings to the table, so I use a combination of coconut oil and coconut water instead, which adds subtle nutty and fruity flavors to the puree without making it all about the coconut. Try using this coconut oil and water combination to cook other big-flavored vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, or bell peppers, or use it as the base of a braising liquid for fish.