🌿🌼🌿 Cabillaud aux Asperges 🌿🌼🌿
(Cod with Asparagus)
Asparagus Cream Sauce, Balsamic Reduction
This lovely fish and asparagus dish was inspired by one of several fabulous courses we enjoyed at Picasso Restaurant by Chef Julian Serrano in Las Vegas.
The Chef’s menu is drawn from his own background in the regional cuisines of Spain and France, and in honor of Pablo Picasso’s Spanish heritage and years the master artist spent living in France.
The fish course was particularly memorable for its simplicity, harmony, and quality. A beautiful fillet of seared Chilean Sea Bass sat on a raft of perfectly cooked asparagus spears, covered with a light blanket of sauce hollandaise. The brilliant element of the dish was the Chef’s addition of a balsamic reduction, which juxtaposed intense sweet and tangy notes with the rich fish and buttery sauce.
For my version, I serve a pan-seared Wild Alaska Pacific Cod with its pleasant, slightly sweet, mild clean taste and lean flaky texture. And here, hollandaise is replaced by an Asparagus Cream Sauce made from the surplus of my Asparagus Soup for a delightful springtime dish.
Recette de Cabillaud aux Asperges
Asparagus Cream Sauce
- cream of asparagus soup (recipe here)
- heavy cream
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Gently heat about a cup of leftover asparagus soup in a small saucepan with a good splash of cream. Taste for seasoning.
Pacific Cod
Ingredients:
- cod fillets
- coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- flour
- olive oil
Method:
Let fish fillets come close to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shake off excess.
Cook fish in a glug of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through and golden brown on both sides.
Balsamic Reduction
Simply bring a cup of good quality balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, lower the heat, stir occasionally. Reduce the liquid to a thin, syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Note that the syrup will continue to thicken slightly even after it is removed from the heat.
To Plate
- asparagus spears, trimmed
- asparagus cream sauce
- balsamic reduction
- pan-seared pacific cod
- parsley, edible flower, or other garnish
Cook asparagus in boiling salted water in a wide shallow pan until just tender, remove immediately to paper towels.
Arrange warm asparagus on plates. Ladle warm asparagus cream sauce over the asparagus. Drizzle balsamic syrup around the perimeter. Place fish along with some pan juices, on top of the asparagus. Garnish with complementary herbs and/or flowers (that’s a marigold).
Update
Now read more about Picasso Restaurant and the Scallop, Potato Mousseline, Jus de Veau course here.
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