Wild Rockfish with Cilantro-Pumpkin Seed Chimichurri, Roasted Poblanos, Cauliflower Rice, and Charred Zucchini
Mild, flaky wild rockfish seared until golden and spooned with a vibrant chimichurri of cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds, lime, and garlic. It's served with smoky roasted poblano strips, fluffy cauliflower rice, and charred zucchini.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 35 min · Total: 45 min · Best in North America from late summer into early fall, when poblanos and zucchini overlap (wild rockfish is available year-round on the West Coast) · Best eaten: early evening
Rockfish is a great comeback story. Several West Coast rockfish species were overfished in the 1990s, and after years of careful management, many have been declared rebuilt. Today Seafood Watch rates most U.S. West Coast rockfish a Best Choice or Good Alternative.
Ingredients
Cilantro-pumpkin seed chimichurri
⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small garlic clove
½ small jalapeño (optional)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Vegetables
3 poblano peppers
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into planks or thick half-moons
1 large head cauliflower, riced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt, divided
Squeeze of lime
Fish
4 wild rockfish fillets (about 6 oz each)
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Roast the poblanos. Char them directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until blackened all over, 8–10 minutes. Seal them in a bowl covered with a plate for 10 minutes, then peel off the skins, remove the seeds, and slice into strips.
Make the chimichurri. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they puff and pop, then finely chop them (or pulse briefly in a food processor) with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir in the lime zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Keep it loose and textured, not puréed.
Char the zucchini. Toss it with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and sear in a hot cast iron skillet (or on a grill) 2–3 minutes per side, until charred.
Make the cauliflower rice. Sauté the cauliflower in the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat 5–7 minutes, until tender. Season with salt and lime, and fold in the poblano strips.
Sear the fish. Pat the fillets dry and season with the salt and cumin. Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and the fish just flakes. Rockfish is delicate, so flip it gently with a thin spatula.
Plate. Spoon the poblano cauliflower rice onto each plate, add the charred zucchini, set the rockfish on top, and spoon the chimichurri generously over everything.
Storage: Fish, up to 2 days refrigerated; chimichurri, up to 4 days; vegetables and cauliflower rice, up to 3–4 days.
Nourishment Notes
Wild rockfish — lean complete protein, selenium, B12, and some omega-3s. Pumpkin seeds — zinc, magnesium, and iron. Cilantro and parsley — chlorophyll, vitamin K, and apigenin. Poblanos — vitamin C, beta-carotene, and mild capsaicin. Cauliflower — glucosinolates and choline. Zucchini — potassium and vitamin C.
For your cycle: Pumpkin seeds' zinc and magnesium are especially supportive in the follicular and luteal phases (in seed cycling, pumpkin seeds belong to the follicular phase), and cauliflower supports estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification.
Sourcing
Wild rockfish — U.S. West Coast rockfish (sometimes sold as Pacific snapper or rock cod), hook-and-line caught when possible, from a trusted fishmonger
Pumpkin seeds — organic and raw
Poblanos, zucchini, cauliflower, cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, garlic, and limes — organic, from a farmers' market
Raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother (Bragg)
Ghee — grass-fed, or homemade from organic grass-fed butter
Cumin — organic and non-irradiated
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall