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 ROUGET WITH WILD ASPARAGUS AND SPRING GARLIC BROTH

Steps:

• Prepare the garlic broth, then reserve.
• Heat the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and the diced asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Lay a butterflied rouget skin side-down on a clean surface. Spread a thin layer of the asparagus and shallot mixture over the exposed fish flesh. Fold the fish around the filling so it resumes its natural shape. Using butchers twine, tie the stuffed rouget at 1-inch intervals running from head to tail. Stuff and tie the remaining rouget.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the rouget with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan and saute until the fish is opaque and flaky, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, combine the Garlic Broth and wild asparagus in a small skillet (add a little water if the broth does not almost cover the asparagus). Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat, gently poaching the asparagus until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve, ladle Garlic Broth into 6 shallow bowls. Place a rouget in each bowl then garnish with poached asparagus.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the fish heads and bones and cook, stirring occasionally until the flesh is opaque and the bones softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer the head and bones to a bowl and reserve. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, shallot, and garlic whites. Cook, still over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook, continuing to stir from time to time, until the tomato juices are released and begin to concentrate, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Give the stock base another stir and add the reserved fish bones and heads, the Fish Fumet, and the chicken stock. Bring the broth to a simmer. Simmer the broth over medium heat, skimming occasionally until the broth is flavorful about 20 minutes.
• Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a pot. Ladle the broth through the strainer. Return the broth to the stove. Add the garlic greens and simmer gently until reduced by about one quarter, 15 minutes or so. Once again strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Chill the broth then keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Put the bones, onions, fennel, leek, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, and wine in a large pot. Add water to cover and slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook at the gentlest simmer, skimming occasionally but not stirring, until fragrant, about 20 minutes.
• Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth. Set the sieve over a pan or bowl and ladle the fumet through the sieve, taking care not to disturb the bones and vegetables at the bottom of the pot. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Cook's Note: Use bones from lean white fish like snapper or bass. Bones from dark fleshed and oily fish (mackerel, tuna, salmon) are too strong tasting for fumet.

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.

MISO-GLAZED SEA BASS WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan.
• Whisk together miso, sugar, lemon juice, water, and pepper in a bowl.
• Toss together asparagus, oil, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
• Arrange fish, skin sides down, in baking pan and spread miso mixture evenly on top. Arrange asparagus in 1 layer around fish and broil 5 to 6 inches from heat until fish is just cooked through and asparagus is crisp-tender, 8 to 12 minutes.