Crisp Skin Fish With Asparagus Recipes

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.

CRISPY-SKIN KING SALMON WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS, FINGERLING POTATOES, AND HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Roast the potatoes:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• On a large baking sheet, toss together the potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into thin slices.
• Meanwhile, roast the asparagus:
• On a large baking sheet, toss together the asparagus, oil, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice over the asparagus then roast in the oven until tender, about 5 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Make the hollandaise:
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, combine the vinegar, tarragon, and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Set a metal bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Add the egg yolks and vinegar reduction and cook, whisking constantly so the eggs don't scramble, until the yolks are fluffy and light in color. Add the clarified butter in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Remove the hollandaise sauce from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Cook the salmon:
• Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
• In a large sauté pan over moderate heat, warm the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the salmon, skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip the salmon over, sear for about 10 seconds, then immediately flip the salmon over again so that the skin is facing down. Transfer the salmon to the oven to finish cooking for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the salmon.
• To serve:
• Place a salmon fillet in the center of each of 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes and asparagus beside the salmon and drizzle the asparagus with the hollandaise.

CRISP-SKIN FISH WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, and discard. Cut the tomatoes in half, spoon out and discard the seeds. Finely slice the tomato flesh, then cut into small dice. Set both asparagus and tomatoes aside.
• Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and cook skin-side down over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, gently pressing, until skin is crisped and golden. Turn and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness, until cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in simmering salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well. For the dressing, gently warm the 3 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan with the tomatoes, olives, capers and parsley leaves. Toss the asparagus in a little of the dressing. Arrange the asparagus on each of four warmed dinner plates, top with the fish, and spoon the warm tomato dressing around the fish.