Tuscan Sea Bass with Curry Roasted Asparagus

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4, 6 oz. Chilean Sea Bass Steaks

18 stalks of asparagus trimmed and washed

1 pint sliced shitake mushrooms

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

½ large shallot thinly sliced

½ pint of kalamata olives, sliced in half

1 lemon (zest it first, then thinly slice it and remove any seeds. Leave a bit at the end to squeeze on fish to serve)

1 T salted butter

3+ T olive oil (as needed)

1 ½ t red wine vinegar

2-3 t kosher salt and pepper (see recipe for division of seasoning)

1 t Curry Now* curry powder

4 scallions sliced

5 – 6 leaves of basil, 4 intact and 1 – 2 julienned for garnish

METHOD:

• Rub cherry tomatoes with a palm-sized amount of good olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree F oven for 15-18 minutes until starting to blister. Remove, put in a large bowl and let cool.
• Heat a large saucepan to high. Add 1 T oil and 1 T salted butter. Add the cut shitake mushrooms and cook until browned stirring often. Make sure you have a large pan. Crowding the mushrooms will result in steamed and rubbery mushrooms! Now, lower heat slightly and add the kalamata olives, about ½ t kosher salt and ¼ t black pepper. Add the shallots and sauté again until the onions are soft. Add that mixture, butter, oil, and all to the tomatoes and stir. Let come to room temperature. Add about 1 ½ t red wine vinegar. Taste and add salt if needed. Set aside.
• Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set the Sea Bass on it about 1 inch apart. Rub with 1 T oil, 1 t kosher salt, ½ black pepper, and zest from one lemon. Place large basil leaf atop, then a very thin slice of lemon, and sprinkle with a few scallions. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 12 minutes, pressing on filets to make sure they push back a little but aren’t hard, nor are they mushy to test for doneness.
• In another baking pad toss asparagus with 1 T oil, a little kosher salt and about 1 t of good hot curry. I like “Curry Now” from *Penzey’s. IT IS THE BEST. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes. I like them to still have some firmness but easy to bite through.
• To serve, place filet on dish. Then place asparagus behind it. Then add the mushroom, tomato, olive mixtures to the plate, flanking each side. Garnish with a bit of basil leaf and a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of scallions.
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