Crisp Skin Fish With Asparagus Food

SEA BASS WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Fill a medium pot with about 4 quarts water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add a generous handful of salt. (The water should taste like sea water.) When the water boils, add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon or strainer and plunge into the ice bath. Remove to paper towels and pat dry. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Add some oil and bring to lightly smoking, then place the fish in the skillet skin-side down. Cook until the skin is crispy, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. (If the skillet is getting too hot, reduce the heat.) Remove from the heat and top the skin side with the chopped herbs and salt.
• Mix the diced tomatoes with the drizzle of honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Remove some of the grease from the skillet. Add the shallots, salt and white wine to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the butter and cook until the sauce thickens, then drop the dried asparagus into the sauce. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Toss to coat the asparagus.
• Place the lemon segments and tomatoes around each of 2 plates. Top with the asparagus, a spoonful of sauce and then the fish (skin-side up). Garnish with additional fresh herbs.

PAN-COOKED ASPARAGUS AND MIXED FISH

Steps:

• Get a really large frying pan, or 2 smaller ones, on the heat and add a glug of olive oil. Score the skin of your fish fillets all over, about 1/2-inch deep, and season. Put the fish fillets into the pan, skin side down, with the squid tentacles. Add the scallops. Run your knife down 1 side of each squid to open them out, then quickly and lightly score the inside in a crisscross fashion. Lay them in the pan, scored side down. Add the asparagus and gently shake the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then turn everything over and cook on the other side. Sprinkle over the thyme tips.
• You're the one in control of the pan, so if something looks cooked, take it out and keep it warm. Don't watch things burn! When the fish has crispy skin, the scallops are golden brown with caramelized edges and the squid has curled up and is nicely charred, remove the pan from the heat. Put the squid on a chopping board and roughly slice it into pieces at an angle, then return to the pan. Lay the fish fillets on each plate. Toss the asparagus, scallops and squid with half the chile, a good drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Lightly season and mix together. Divide on top of the plated fish. Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped chile and the fennel tops, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

FABULOUS BAKED FISH AND ASPARAGUS SPEARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the EVOO to the pan, once around the pan. Add the fennel seeds, garlic, and shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
• Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the capers, tomatoes, the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, the balsamic vinegar, basil, and clam juice. Add the mixture to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Slide the fish fillets into the pan. Spoon the sauce over the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the fish for 15 minutes, or until cooked through, adding the bread to the oven to warm through for the last minute or two.
• While the fish cooks, boil the asparagus in an inch of water for 3 minutes, then drain and dress it with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
• Serve the fish with lots of juice for mopping up with crusty bread and the asparagus spears alongside.

ROASTED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rub salmon all over with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange skin side-down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until medium, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the salmon roasts, prepare the asparagus: In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium and add butter to skillet. Cook, stirring, until foam subsides and butter is deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn). Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice, capers, peas, parsley and cooked asparagus. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide vegetables among plates. Top with salmon and spoon over any remaining pan sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.