Gregory Gourdet is one of my favorite chefs to watch right now. Known for his global cuisine, he is also very health conscious and eats mainly paleo foods (no processed foods, sugar or “white” grains). This is a take on one of his simple Vietnamese dishes that I enjoy a lot. With the exception of Indian dishes and a few others from that side of the world, I don’t get to use turmeric much, which is a shame, because it’s extremely good for you. It reminds me a little of cumin, but is lighter and doesn’t have the same bitterness. The turmeric-marinated fish, served with lime and cilantro, is really earthy with the turmeric and funky fish sauce. (If you haven’t tried fish sauce, please do - start in small quantities, but it’s a terrific addition to many foods and readily available.)
Serves 6
For the Fish
INGREDIENTS
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
3-inch knob fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped or 1 tablespoon powdered
2-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons fish sauce
6 fillets cod
For the Dish
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 small jar artichokes - about 1.25 cups
1 small zucchini, chunked
1 large serrano or medium jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Butter Lettuce leaves
Large handful small cilantro
3 juicy limes
METHOD
Combine the garlic, shallot, turmeric, ginger, and fish sauce in a blender and puree until smooth, stopping and stirring if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add the fish and toss to coat the pieces well in the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat.
Remove the fish from the marinade, but don’t wipe any marinade off.
Rub 1 tablespoon of the oil onto a sheet pan, arrange the fish in a single layer, and broil until the fish is a vivid yellow color and just cooked though (the center will be milky white and flake easily with the poke of a finger), 8 to 10 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the vegetables. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmery. Add the vegetables until slightly wilted but with a tender crunch, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with the salt and turn off the heat.
When the fish is done, transfer it to a platter, plate the veggies on top of the lettuce with a bit of the pan sauce, and shower everything cilantro and lime juice. Sprinkle with a little fish sauce or hot sauce if you’re feeling saucy.
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