It is unfortunate that the photo here makes everything look so messy because it truly was a very pretty dish and one which I would recommend making because it also tasted great. All of the dish's components came together beautifully. Next time, I will probably cut the fish and lay the pieces on top of the carrot puree to show off white fish with a dramatic coal black rim.
It may look as though there are a lot of components to assemble but most of them are quite simple to make and can also be prepped in advance. You could skip the squid ink if you wanted to but it does add to how pretty the dish is, as well as a slight briny flavor that really complements everything else.
I have been working out this dish in my head for a while now, in terms of colors and flavors and items that worked together well. Mothers' Day seemed the perfect time to try to bring it to fruition and it did receive rave reviews.
#1: Carrot Green Oil (can be made a few days in advance)
Green tops from 1 bunch of organic carrots
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Bring a pain of water to the boil. Add the carrot greens and blanch for a minute or 2.
Remove the greens from the boiling water and shock them in a bowl full of water and ice cubes. This will keep them a beautiful, vibrant green.
Dry the greens and put them in the blender along with the other 2 ingredients. Blitz well.
Remaining oil can be used in vinaigrettes and to season carrots.
Inspiration recipe, here.
#2: Pickled Mustard Seeds (can be made a week in advance)
I followed this recipe EXACTLY (for once)
Remaining pickled seeds can be used in sauces, sandwiches, vinaigrettes and are slightly addictive.
#3: Carrot-Tahini Purée (can be made the day before)
2 bunches organic carrots, washed well, did not bother to peel
4 Tbsps butter
3 Tbsps tahini paste
1/3 cup heavy cream
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Place the carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces in a pot of water. Bring to a boil, and cook until the carrots are fork tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Drain and return to pan along with the butter, tahini and cream. Blitz into a puree with an immersion blender, making sure that all ingredients are well combined. You could probably omit the cream for the sake of saving calories but it adds to the mouthfeel of the dish.
Add the juice from one lemon and salt. Adjust seasoning (salt/lemon/tahini) to your liking.
Remaining puree can be used on a carrot and carrot green pizza if need be which just so happens to be the inspiration recipe for this.
(Inspiration recipe, here)
#4: Squid Ink Painted Roasted Cod (must be cooked right before serving)
4 cod fillets
1 1/2 teaspoons squid ink (I bought mine in tiny 4 gram envelopes on amazon)
2 tsps olive oil
Salt
2 to 3 hours before you are ready to cook your fish, mix the olive oil and squid ink well in a large oven proof dish. Add your fish fillets and turn once or twice to ensure that the cod is coated with a thin layer of squid ink oil.
Place in the fridge until 30 minutes before cooking. Turn the fish over from time to time and rub in the squid ink oil remaining in the bottom of the dish.
30 minutes before cooking time, remove the dish from the fridge and salt the fish well on both sides.
Preheat oven to 400 and cook cod until done. This will depend on the thickness of your fish - internet research indicated 12-20 minutes per fillet but ours were thick and took 22 minutes to be perfect.
This fish dish would probably taste just fine on its own with a squeeze of lemon.
#5: To Assemble (also known as at the last minute...)
Place a portion of carrot puree in the middle of your plate.
Top with a portion of fish.
Add a dollop of pickled mustard seed to that.
Surround with a generous drizzle of carrot green oil.
Throw on a dusting of salt.
Serve, sit back and await the accolades...