I know the asparagus should be turned the other way, but I was in a hurry

 

It looks like a bit like veal, but it’s actually a section of a thick striped bass fillet, and it tasted even more serious than veal.

The asparagus was an experiment. I don’t think I’ve cooked very thin asparagus since I started this blog almost 10 years ago, and after this experience (I still find the texture of the small spears less satisfying than that of the grownups) I’m not likely to go back unless I intend to use this glorious vegetable in a pasta or egg dish. I have to admit however that they’re a more convenient than the larger ones that have to be peeled.

• one 16-ounce striped bass fillet from American Seafood Company, halved crosswise, dredged in a seasoned Union Square Greenmarket-purchased local coarse-ground whole wheat flour from the Blew family of Oak Grove Mills Mills, then dipped into a shallow bowl with a mixture of one Americauna chicken egg from Millport Dairy Farm whipped with a few tablespoons of chopped parsley from Stokes Farm and a few drops of milk, sautéed for a few minutes over a medium flame in a mixture of butter and olive oil, skin side down, covered loosely with a tent of aluminum foil (because the fish was quite thick) inside a heavy copper skillet, then turned over, the tent replaced, and sautéed for a few more minutes, or until the fish was cooked through (the time will vary each time with the size of the fillets and the height of the flame), removed from the pan and arranged on two plates, the heat under the pan now turned off and a couple inches from a stem of Berried Treasures Farm spring garlic, sliced, scattered inside and stirred a bit, (adding oil if necessary), those juices then drizzled over the bass, followed by a squeeze of an organic lemon from Whole Foods, and a garnish of micro bronze fennel from Two Guys from Woodbridge

• two medium plum tomatoes from Stokes Farm, halved, the cut sides generously seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, pan-grilled above a medium-high flame, face down, for a couple minutes, turned and grilled briefly on the other side, finished with a dab of olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, and some chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge

• one pound of pencil-thin asparagus from Lucky Dog Organic Farm, the bottoms trimmed, rolled with a little more than a tablespoon of olive oil, a little sea salt, and a bit of freshly-ground black pepper inside a large Pampered Chef unglazed ceramic pan, roasted at 400º for about 7 to 10 minutes, removed to the plates and sprinkled with zest from a Whole Foods Market organic lemon, sprinkled with chopped spearmint from Keith’s Farm
• the wine was an Argentinian (Salta) white, Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Torrontés 2016, from Philippe Wines
• the music was the album, ‘Haydn 2032, Vol. 4: Il distratto‘