Asparagus and Fish

Pan-seared sole in lemon sauce and garlic croutons with a side of grilled asparagus

Best with a light, whitish fish like sole or perhaps rockfish/red snapper. This is also made to degrade nicely: use the best ingredients you have but substitutes won't ruin it.

Ingredients:
Fish filet (Dover Sole in this example)
Flour (Regular all-purpose is fine. If no flour, leave out.)
Salt
Pepper (crushed peppercorns best, black pepper if no peppercorns.)
Butter
Bacon (a few slices, the fattier the better)
Bread ("real" bread is better. White will do in pinch.)
Garlic
Lemon
Asparagus

Equipment:
Oven, cookie sheet, tin foil, range, non-stick pan

Instructions:
Put 3 or 4 slices of bacon into pan with heat on medium-high. Turn occasionally and fry until bacon is crispy. Leave bacon grease in pan. In the meantime...

Cut up bread into little cubes, toss with olive oil. Dice garlic and sprinkle over bread cubes. Put on tinfoil on a cookie sheet and into the oven. Take out when crispy and the smell of garlic starts to waft through the oven.

Lightly dust with salt and peppercorns on both side and then lightly dredge through flour. Put a bit of butter into the still-hot pan and leave heat on medium (take care not to foam and burn the butter too much). Put the fish into the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Sear fish for about 2 minutes on each side and then took for maybe a couple minutes more if the fish is thick. Take fish out and plate it.

If there is not enough grease left in the pan, put a little butter and melt it. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and simmer over medium heat for 30-45 seconds. Pour over fish.

Sprinkle crouton over fish and sprinkle remaining garlic bits over plate for a little color. Make bacon bits out of the bacon and also sprinkle on the plate, more on the fish for flavor and over the rest of the plate for color.

Put some more butter into the pan and throw in asparagus, taking care to roll them around so they're coated with grease. Throw in about a tablespoon of water and cover with lid. Cook until water is almost gone or the asparagus takes on a deep green color. Uncover lid and roll asparagus around. Lightly salt. Roll around some more and cook for 1 more minute. Take out and plate with fish.



Enjoy!