Spring is here, time for fresh-from-the-garden produce. Asparagus and strawberries are some of the first delicacies to turn up at local farmers markets. Newly-picked, these delicacies should be messed with as little as possible before consumption – strawberries barely rinsed; asparagus barely cooked. Here’s a menu for a light, fast, flavorful supper that features both. The hardest part of this dinner is making the chermoula, a traditional Mediterannean sauce of pureed garlic, onions, spices, lemon, leafy herbs and olive oil. Crushing the ingredients in the traditional way, in a mortar and pestle, takes a bit of time and muscle. In a blender or food processor, the process is quick. Either way, the result is a delicious sauce that can be used as a marinade or a condiment, and which will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so, or can be frozen for later use.
The main protein here is monkfish, which is not very expensive and can stand up to the strong flavor of the chermoula. Feel free to substitute another sturdy, flavorful fish such as salmon or bluefish. Meat and poultry also are good marinaded in chermoula and then grilled or broiled.
Farro, an easy-to-cook grain, is delicious tossed with some of the extra chermoula and served on the side of the fish. Asparagus, quickly broiled with a bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper, comes out crunchy and carmelized. Throw in a halved lemon when broiling the asparagus for a juicy condiment that is wonderful squeezed over both the asparagus and the fish.
For dessert, freshly-picked strawberries can hardly be more delicious than they are plain. But good local honey with a sprinkle of chopped pistachioes over the berries is a simple and perfect finish to this meal. If you’d like to add a bit of Sweet Cream Ice Cream from Walpole Creamery, I won’t object.
2 pieces of monkfish, about ⅔ pound total
½ cup farro, cooked according to instructions on package
1 small bunch of asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
1 lemon, cut in half
olive oil for brushing the pan and asparagus
salt and pepper
Chermoula ( recipe below)
If the monkfish has a silvery membrane on it, use a sharp knife to remove it – try to avoid cutting into the flesh. Place the monkfish in a bowl with about ¼ cup of chermoula and toss to coat it well. Turn on the broiler to high and allow the oven to heat up while the fish marinates and you prepare the farro and asparagus.
Place the cooked farro in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of chermoula, adding more to taste if desired. Set aside until ready to serve.
Place the trimmed asparagus on an ovenproof sheet tray and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Place the halved lemon on the tray, brushed with a little oil.
Prepare an ovenproof pan with a coating of olive oil and set the oven rack to a few inches below the broiler. Place the chermoula-coated monkfish in the pan and place under the broiler. Place the tray of asparagus alongside it if there is room (otherwise, you will have to cook separately).
Allow the fish to cook for about 5 minutes (depending on how thick the fillets are), then remove from oven and turn the fish over. Return to the oven and allow to cook for a few more minutes until the fish is cooked through.
The asparagus should cook until it is beginning to brown a bit, then should be flipped to cook the other side. It will cook more quickly than the fish. The lemon does not need to be flipped. When the asparagus is cooked but is still al dente, remove it and the lemon from the oven and set aside.
Dab some of the chermoula on each plate, and place a serving of fish on top of it. Arrange asparagus, broiled lemon and some farro alongside the fish and serve immediately. Serves two.
1 heaping tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted or 1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (less if using fine salt)
3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons grated or minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh turmeric, or ½ teaspoon dry turmeic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dry thyme
2 tablespoons sweet ground paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
juice from one large lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Puree the ingredients together into a paste.
If using a mortar and pestle, start by grinding the cumin seeds with the salt, then add the garlic to the mortar and grind to a paste. Next add the other dry ingredients and incorporate, then add the fresh herbs and incorporate, and finish by adding the lemon pulp or juice and the olive oil, and incorporate.
Or, combine all the ingredients at once in a blender or small food processor and pulse until reduced to a puree. Taste the mixture and and tweak as desired.
This is best used fresh, but will keep a few days in the refrigerator, or it may be frozen. Makes about ½ cup.
1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and cut into quarters
¼ cup good honey
¼ cup chopped pistachios
Arrange the berries on two plates, drizzle with honey then sprinkle with pistachios. Serve immediately.