Flavorless oil like grapeseed or canola for sauteing
20trout lily leaves
¼cupsliced bulbs from 4-5 rampsleaves reserved and sliced into 1 in squares
Unsalted buttera couple tablespoons for cooking the fish
2cupsnice young carrots cut 1 inch on the biasI used purple pumpkin carrots here, feel free to use any you like
2cupswholeun-toasted, un-seasonsed sunflower seeds, coarsely ground in a food processor (you will have some seeds left over)
Nasturtium blossoms or leaves to garnishoptional
Instructions
Season the whitefish with salt and pepper. Allow them to sit for a moment, the salt will draw out moisture that will help the seeds adhere. Press the fish, flesh side down into the sunflower seeds. Reserve the filets until needed.
Heat a pan with a couple tablespoons of the grapeseed oil, saute the carrots on medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the carrots until tender, covering with a lid and adding a little water to prevent burning. When the carrots are cooked, remove them from the heat and reserve.
In a small saucepan, heat the pea puree on low heat, whisking occasionally to prevent lumps from forming.
Heat a pan with ¼ cup of grapeseed oil and 2 tablespoon of butter, when the pan is hot and the butter is sizzling, but not browned, add the whitefish filets, seed coated side down to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the seeds are browned, be careful they don't burn. When the seed crust is browned, flip the fish and increase the heat to caramelize the skin. Cook for 3-4 minutes more until the fish is cooked throughout.
When the fish is cooked through, quickly reheat the carrots. Add the ramp bulbs and cook for 1 minute, until translucent. Lastly toss in the ramp leaves and remove the pan from the heat. Toss the carrots with the ramp leaves just to wilt them gently and remove their hot, raw taste.
Plate the dish by first putting ¼ cup of the warm pea puree on a plate, followed by the carrots and ramps. Top the carrots with a fish filet, then garnish with the raw trout lily leaves and a nasturtium blossom, if using. Serve immediately.