Bayside Seafood with Butternut Squash, Broccolini & Crispy Quinoa and Sourdough Tempura Lion’s Mane
By: Tristan Guilbeault
Instagram: @tristangcooks
Proteins can be tough to nail sometimes when you don’t have a ton of experience in the kitchen; seafood especially. Overcook it and it is dry, undercook it and it's rubbery and odd-tasting. Well with these fantastic pre-marinated options from Bayside Seafood, you won’t have to worry, simply set a tray on in the oven and set a timer! Amaranth carries lemon garlic butter shrimp, smokey BBQ glazed salmon and sweet chilli citrus cod, pick your favourite for this recipe! Using wild-caught seafood these marinated options make dinner that much easier!
In this recipe, I’ll be using butternut squash and local honey to make a delicious puree, broccolini, which is perfect for the grill and to top it off some crispy quinoa for crunch! This recipe results in a restaurant-quality dish with none of the worry of over-seasoning or overcooking the seafood! It all comes together in less than an hour and is an easy gluten-free, lactose-free and pescatarian recipe.
Bayside Seafood with Butternut Squash,
Broccolini & Crispy Quinoa
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free, lactose-free, nut-free, keto, pescatarian
Total Time: 1 hour | (Preparation): 10 minutes | (Cooking): 50 minutes
Yields: Serves 2
Ingredients
Bayside Seafood
● 1 package Bayside Wild-Caught Pacific Salmon with Smokey Barbecue Glaze, Bayside Pacific White Prawns with Lemon Garlic Butter or Bayside Wild-Caught Pacific Cod with Sweet Citrus Chili Glaze
Honey Butternut Squash Puree
● 1 Butternut Squash (around 1.5lb total)
● 2 Garlic cloves
● 1⁄4 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
● 2 tbsp Butter
● 1 tbsp Honey, liquid variety or just warmed up (we recommend Golden Acres, Mckenzies Country Farm Natural Honey or Peace River Honey)
● 1⁄2 tsp Salt
● 1⁄2 tsp Pepper
Grilled Vegetables
● 1 head Broccolini, split, trimmed and blanched (feel free to use Broccoli or other brassicas in season)
● Sesame Oil (we recommend Everland Organic, Maison Orphee)
● Salt and Pepper, to taste
Crispy Quinoa
● 1 cup cooked Quinoa (we recommend GoGo Quinoa, our Bulk section)
● 1 tbsp neutral Oil
● 1⁄2 tsp Salt
Garnish (Optional)
● 1⁄2 tsp Edible Flowers
Instructions
1. Begin by starting the squash purée. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the top and bottoms off the squash then slice in half. Using a spoon take out the seeds and discard. Lightly drizzle with oil and then liberally season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then add the garlic cloves underneath each squash halve. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce through the squash. Once done, let cool slightly, then use a spoon and take out the insides of the squash. Add to a food processor with the roasted garlic, broth, honey, butter, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, taste and add salt if necessary. Keep warm and set aside.
2. To make the crispy quinoa, boil quinoa according to package instructions, then let cool. Place 1 cup on a sheet tray and add to the 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Take out and add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and stir the quinoa around to coat. Season with the salt and then bake for 15 more minutes. Then take out and let cool.
* This step is easier with day-old quinoa.
3. Cook the salmon or other seafood according to the Bayside Seafood package instructions.
4. For the broccolini trim off the tough bottoms and then split into medium-sized pieces. Set a medium-sized pot of water on the stove with 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the broccolini for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool. Toss the broccolini with sesame oil, salt and pepper. Place on a medium hot grill or frying pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. The broccolini should gain some nice char while still retaining some crunch.
5. Bring everything together by adding a couple of spoons of the butternut squash purée on the bottom. Add the charred broccolini, place the salmon or other seafood on top and finish off with the crispy quinoa. Garnish the salmon or other seafood with edible flowers. Enjoy this delicious restaurant-quality dish with proteins from Bayside Seafood!
Sustainability
Bayside Seafood only uses 100% Ocean-wise recommended seafood. This encourages consumers to purchase items that are sustainably harvested and have little impact on the current fish stock and ecosystem. They also use minimalist packaging with vacuum sealing. Vacuum sealing makes foods last longer without deterioration of the product, it also uses up to 40% less plastic than similar packaging from other brands. Bayside Seafood comes pre-marinated so the flavour is embedded in the seafood and makes dinner that much quicker! Try out their great variety of products today sold at Amaranth Foods!
Substitutions
This recipe serves as a great template to highlight a protein. A puree, a vegetable and a crispy garnish make a great plate, with the addition of extra starch such as potatoes, are optional. In this recipe, the broccolini may be substituted with similar veggies such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco or you can even double up on the squash and use delicata. The butternut squash in the puree may be subbed with kabocha squash, acorn squash, sweet potato or carrots. To make the puree vegetarian use coconut milk or veggie broth instead of chicken broth. The honey may be subbed with maple syrup or agave syrup instead, just adjust based on taste for sweetness.
Tips
This a great recipe to impress a partner, family or friends even if you aren’t kitchen savvy. Most steps are hands-off and just require time in the oven. The recipe only takes an hour simply because not everything can be cooked at the same time. If you are planning ahead, the crispy quinoa can be made well in advance and set in a covered container in the pantry. The puree may be stored in the fridge and reheated. The vegetables may be blanched and cooked on high heat the day of at the same time as the seafood which just requires being placed in the oven!
If you ever bake bread at home, you probably have your own sourdough starter. When feeding a starter there is a large amount of discard and throwing it away costs money. Recently I came across a delicious way to use this excess that is just so genius! Using the discard along with a touch of baking soda makes a very light airy batter. It is tempura-esque, encapsulating the whole mushroom leaving you with a soft juicy interior and very crunchy exterior. This batter would work very well frying other foods not just mushrooms, try diced chicken breasts, your favourite veggies or even cheese curds!
Lions Mane is a very special mushroom, in the wild they may be found on tall hardwoods. Unique in both look and texture; Lions Mane is one of my favourite mushrooms. Lions Mane is in the Hericium family of fungus, native to Alberta, these coral-like mushrooms often have a flavour reminiscent of lobster or the sea. They also are a fantastic meat substitute! In this recipe, I will be using Lions Mane from Trafford Farms as well as beautiful green beans. Paired with vegan Peruvian acevichada sauce the flavours are out of this world! Using all Amaranth ingredients this recipe is quick, easy and vegan!
Sourdough Tempura Lion’s Mane
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Dietary Restrictions: Vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, lactose-free
Total Time: 30-35 minutes | (Preparation): 10 minutes | (Cooking): 20-25 minutes
Feeds: 3-4
Ingredients
Nuggets
● 1 box Trafford Farms Lion’s Mane (we also recommend Oyster, Portobello or Cremini mushrooms)
● 1 1⁄2 cups All-Purpose Flour (we recommend Anita’s Organic Mill All-purpose White Flour)
● 1 tsp Salt
● 2 tsp Black Pepper
● 1 cup Water
● 2 cups neutral Oil for frying (we recommend Spectrum refined Canola Oil, Maison Orphee Grapeseed Oil, Chosen Foods and Primal Kitchen Canola Oil)
Tempura Batter
● 1 1⁄2 cup Sourdough Discard
● 1⁄2 tsp Baking Soda
Vegetables
● Green Beans, blanched
Acevichada sauce
● 1⁄2 cup vegan Mayo (we recommend Chosen Foods, Maison Orphee, Earth Island Veganaise)
● 2 tbsp Lemon Juice (we recommend Santa Cruz Organics, Earth’s Choice, Italian Volcano)
● 1 tbsp minced Cilantro stems
● 2 tsp Soy Sauce (we recommend Everland Organic, Amano Tamari, San-J Tamari, Naked Natural Foods)
● 1 tsp Ginger, grated
● 1 clove Garlic, grated
● 1 tsp Sesame Oil (we recommend Everland Organic, Maison Orphee)
● 1⁄2 tsp Salt
● 1⁄2 tsp Pepper
● 1⁄4 tsp Simply Organic Chipotle (optional; for spice)
Garnish
● Maine Coast Kelp Salt
Instructions
1. Begin by making sure you have enough sourdough discard. The starter may be overfed or fed 2x the day prior. Measure out 1 1⁄2 cup before you feed it again. Add 1⁄2 tsp baking soda and whisk well, the batter should begin to foam and look light and airy. Give the air a minute to settle then check the consistency. If the mixture is very thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin it out, if it is too thin add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, it should coat a spoon but not cling to it. Set aside.
2. Begin the acevichada sauce by combining everything except the mayo in a small bowl. Let these flavours meld for 10 minutes then stir in the mayo, optionally this sauce may be blended for smoothness. Taste for seasoning and then place in the fridge until the rest is ready.
3. Blanch the green beans; set a medium-sized pot filled with water on high heat with 2 tsp salt. Once boiling add the green beans and submerge, boil for only 1 minute. Take out and set aside. Discard the water.
4. Now get ready for frying. Place a medium-sized pot on medium heat with a cup of oil, check periodically with a temperature probe so it doesn’t get too hot. Pull the lion’s mane into bite-size pieces and add to a bowl of water. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl, add the mushroom pieces a couple at a time to coat them in flour and then transfer over to the sourdough batter. Ensure they are covered in the batter by rotating the pieces around (I like to use chopsticks for this step so my fingers don’t get sticky). Once the oil has reached 350 degrees you can start frying a handful of pieces at a time. They will float so remember to flip them after 1 minute or so. Cook for 2-3 more minutes depending on size. Take out and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue with the rest.
5. To fry the green beans repeat the same process as step 4, fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Once they are golden brown and nicely crisp, they are ready.
6. To serve, toss the crispy tempura mushrooms in kelp salt and a little bit of regular salt and set on a plate alongside the crispy green beans and acevichada sauce. Enjoy this delicious, simple fried snack using sourdough discard!
Inspiration
This dish came to me as a great way to use up sourdough discard. In the kitchen, there can be a lot of waste and as a chef it is our job to reduce that. Simply adding baking soda to the discard creates a light fizzy batter with a slight sour flavour, similar to a beer batter. When I first experimented with this recipe, I was very surprised with how crispy and airy the batter turned out! With just two ingredients, this might be your new go-to batter; the possibilities are endless! The flavour profile present in this recipe is inspired by Peruvian-Japanese flavours or Nikkei. Tempura is classically Japanese, while acevichada is a common mayonnaise-based condiment that can be found on sushi rolls in Peru.
Substitutions
This simple batter would work well with a myriad of foods. My picks would be Bles-world Cheese Curds, diced and marinated chicken breast, diced Sealove pacific cod or whole shrimp. For vegetables (ensure to blanch them first) broccoli, brussel sprouts, broccolini, cauliflower, asparagus and even sweet potatoes would work great. Oyster mushrooms, sliced portobello, buttons or cremini may be used as well instead of the lion’s mane.
Lion’s Mane benefits
There is an old saying in the food world that if it looks like a body part, including it in your diet will probably benefit that body part. Some great examples include walnuts being good for your brain, celery for bones and tomatoes for your heart. When pulled apart the mycelium network inside a Lion's Mane looks similar to the neural network in your brain. These mushrooms are rich in vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. They are also good sources of minerals such as manganese, zinc and magnesium. Lion’s Mane is high in potent anti-oxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances. Studies show that this mushroom may be useful in slowing down cognitive decline, especially Alzheimer's. They contain two chemicals called hericenones and erinacines both helpful in accelerating the growth of brain cells in younger adults as well as acting as a mild antidepressant. On top of this, Lion’s Mane has been linked to studies in nerve regeneration, managing diabetes and fighting stomach ulcers. The moral of the story, consume more Lion’s Mane!
TIps
Don’t throw out that oil! Let the oil cool and strain it through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Store the oil in a container at room temperature. The oil can be used 4-5 more times before being discarded!
Storage
If there are any leftovers they can be stored in the fridge and then reheated in a 350-degree oven until crisp again, around 5-10 minutes. The acevichada sauce can be put in a container and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Sourdough Starter
Amaranth carries a great prepackaged starter from Breadtopia that is a great shortcut to making fantastic sourdough bread. Typically when you feed or burp a sourdough starter you end up with discard. This discard is what is used in this recipe. So if you plan on making this recipe and your sourdough starter is on the smaller side, do a double feeding so that the next day you have more discard to use in this recipe! I am going to share my simple method for maintaining a sourdough starter below. Keep in mind it may take a few days to a week to see any yeast activity!
Ingredients
Starter
● 1 part warm Water (we recommend starting with 1⁄2 cup)
● 1 part Flour (we recommend Anita’s Organic Mill All-purpose flour, Better Basics Milling Company, Scottish Mills)
Instructions
1. In a litre container or 16oz mason jar add both water and flour and mix well, the consistency should be like a thick porridge. Make sure it has a decent amount of headspace to rise, then cover with a lid and leave in a dark spot on your counter or pantry. Whatever time you made the starter, the following day discard 50% and add in new water and flour. Repeat this process until the starter is bubbly and happy.
* For a faster build-up of yeast use a 50/50 blend of all-purpose and bread flour.
2. Ensure to feed your starter on a schedule, it can and will blow up! Some places have had their starter for over 50 years so treat it like a baby. If you are going on vacation the starter may be put in the fridge to slow the yeast activity, or get a friend to feed it!