Category: Fish

• 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, halved lengthwise if thick, divided
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 7 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1tsp. Aleppo-style pepper
• 2½lb. skinless halibut, salmon, or arctic char filletKosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 bunches ramps or scallions, trimmed
• ¾cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, torn
• ¼cup finely chopped chives
• ¼cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped tarragon, plus leaves for servingBoiled small waxy potatoes and lemon wedges (for serving)

Preheat oven to 325°. Thinly slice one-quarter of asparagus into coins and place in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat butter and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over medium. As soon as butter is melted, add Aleppo-style pepper and remove from heat.

Season fish with salt and black pepper on both sides and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter ramps and remaining asparagus around fish; season with salt and black pepper. Pour butter mixture over fish and vegetables. Give vegetables a toss to evenly coat. Roast, undisturbed, until fish is just opaque in the center and asparagus is bright green and tender, 15–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.

Toss olives, chives, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. tarragon, and remaining 5 Tbsp. oil with reserved asparagus; season with salt and black pepper.

Transfer fish to a platter; top with ramps and asparagus. Spoon some olive mixture over, then scatter tarragon leaves over. Serve with potatoes, lemon wedges, and remaining olive mixture alongside.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g (net weight) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
• 2 small lemons
• 150g trimmed celery, cut into 1cm dice
• 1½ tbsp pitted Kalamata olives, cut into quarters lengthways
• 2½ tbsp capers
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2½ tsp maple syrup 
• 5 tbsp olive oil 
• ¾ tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 800g cleaned squid, cut into rings, or butterflied and cut into pieces
• 60g rocket
• Chilli oil, to finish

1. Place a medium-sized pan of salted water on your stove top and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the sweet potato, simmer for five to seven minutes, then test for doneness – they need to be tender but still retain their shape, so watch out that they don’t turn into mush. Drain into a colander and leave to cool down.
2. Next, take the lemons and, with a small, sharp knife, trim off their tops and tails. Now cut down their sides, along their round curves, to remove the skin and white pith. Over a medium bowl – to collect any juice that escapes – remove the individual lemon segments by cutting between the membranes. Put the segments in the bowl, then squeeze any remaining juice from the desegmented lemons over the top.
3. Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the lemon bowl, then gently stir in the celery, olives, capers, garlic, anchovy (if using), parsley, maple syrup, three tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. The salsa can now be left at room temperature for a couple of hours, or refrigerated and used the next day.
4. To cook the squid, heat up a ridged griddle pan or a barbecue until really hot – again, this is an essential factor in the cooking process. Throw the squid pieces in the pan a few at a time, without crowding, grill for about one minute each side, then remove, and repeat with the remaining squid.
5. Once all the squid is cooked, toss it gently into the salsa ingredients. The heat of the squid will turn this into a warmish salad.
6. As you plate it, dot with the rocket and finish with a trickle of chilli oil.

For the tahini sauce

• ¹⁄₂ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (5¼ oz.) tahini
• 2 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (2 tsp.)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt

For the fish

• ¹⁄₄ cup plus 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (3⅓ cups)
• Six 5¼-oz. cod, hake, or halibut fillets
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1½ tsp. ground cumin, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¹⁄₄ cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 medium-hot green chiles, such as serrano or jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced (⅓ cup)
• 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
• ¹⁄₂ cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tsp. ground sumac
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Make the tahini sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and ¼ cup cold water to make a thick and creamy sauce. Set aside.
2. To a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil; when the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 10–12 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons cool water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have completely softened but have not taken on any color, 8–10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Meanwhile, in a large, shallow bowl, stir together the lemon juice and zest, and ½ teaspoon cumin; season to taste with salt and black pepper, then add the cod fillets and turn several times to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. (Don’t leave it for much longer than this, otherwise the fish will start to break down.)
5. To a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil. Sprinkle the flour over a large plate and, one at a time, lift the fish pieces from the marinade and lightly dredge in the flour. Add the fish to the skillet (without crowding the pan) and cook, turning once halfway through, just until both sides are golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
6. Stir the cooled onions and the chiles into the reserved tahini sauce, then pour the sauce over the fish, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, transfer to the oven, and roast until the fish is just cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Switch the oven to the broiler setting and continue cooking until browned and bubbly, about 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley and sumac and serve warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges on the side.

• small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm dice 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper  
• 1 tsp maple syrup     
• 1 small leek, outer leaves removed, the white thinly sliced on an angle  
• 150ml whole milk  
• 140g piece haddock fillet, skinless and boneless  
• 1 tsp black peppercorns  
• 2 bay leaves  
• 250g puff pastry  
• Flour, for dusting  
• 1 egg  
• 120ml double cream  
• 1 tsp mustard powder  
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon  
• 10g tarragon leaves, chopped  
• 85g tin smoked oysters, drained and each oyster cut in half

1. Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. In a bowl, mix the sweet potato with a tablespoon of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a little black pepper. Tip on to a small baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, until cooked and starting to brown. Tip back into the bowl, add the maple syrup, mash roughly and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a medium sauté pan on a medium flame. Add the leek, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a little black pepper, fry for four minutes, stirring, until cooked, then tip into a bowl.
3. Give the sauté pan a wipe, then add the milk, haddock, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for four minutes, until the fish flakes when touched. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool, then lift out the fish with a slotted spoon and break into a bowl, in roughly 2cm pieces. Cover and refrigerate; discard the milk and aromatics.
4. Turn down the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pasty to 2mm thick, then cut into circles to fit six 8cm-diameter, crinkle-edged tart cases with removable bases. Press the pastry into the moulds, trim the edges and prick all over with a fork. Place baking paper discs in each and fill with baking beans. Transfer to a baking tray, rest in the fridge for 10 minutes, then bake for half an hour. Remove the paper and beans, bake for 10 minutes more, until turning golden brown, then set aside to cool.
5. While the tart shells are cooking, put the egg, cream, mustard, lemon zest and chopped tarragon in a bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper. Whisk to combine, then pour into a small jug.
6. Spoon a 3mm-thick layer of sweet potato mash into each tart base. Dot the oyster halves on top, followed by the haddock and leek: you want to be able to see everything. Divide the cream between the tarts, then bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, until set. Leave to rest for five minutes, then serve.