On Our Next Episode of Chef’s Corner…

Have you already made our previous recipes? Are you a newcomer to the chef’s corner? Whatever your level of cooking experience or confidence, Ascend’s Chef Steve is here to help. If you’ve been craving Chef Steve’s meals since leaving Ascend, now is your chance to get your hands on some of his most delicious recipes. Check out this recipe for crispy fish with an orzo pasta and carrot puree!

Some Words of Wisdom

“This time around, we’re going to prepare a dish that I recently did with one of our clients as a cooking lesson for their experiential therapy. I find that cooking can be a kind of therapy or meditation practice as well as a life skill.

The dish we prepared was a bit more complex, but not very hard. You may have to be prepared to juggle a lot of pieces at once. Follow along with us and at the end, you’ll get to enjoy a Crispy Skinned Fish Filet with Confetti Orzo Pasta and Carrot Ginger Puree.

We’ll do it in order so that the timing is right, and all the parts come together at the same time. Here we go…”

—Chef Steve

The Carrot & Ginger Puree

Ingredients:

• 8 Carrots (Peeled & Cut)
• 2 Tablespoons Ginger (Peeled & Chopped)
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Water

Instructions:

1. Peel and cut the carrots into approximately 1/2-inch slices.
2. Peel and thinly slice the ginger.
3. Place in a pot with water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer and when the carrots are tender, remove the carrots and ginger from the water, reserving the water for blending as needed.
5. Blend the carrots and ginger with salt and pepper. Add water as needed to keep the puree smooth.
6. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as necessary.
7. Put aside and keep warm for plating.

Please note that there are two ways you can puree your carrots and ginger. You can use a food processor or blender, or you can use a hand blender. Either way is great, but Chef Steve recommends using a food processor.

Orzo Pasta

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Dry Orzo Pasta
• Water
• 4 Spears of Asparagus (Small Dice)
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (Small Dice)
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper (Small Dice)
• 1/4 Red Onion (Small Dice)
• 2 Tangerines (Segmented)
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Mint
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• 4 Tablespoons Tangerine or Orange Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions:

There are multiple components to this part of the recipe, but you can do them at the same time. 

Pasta

1. Put water into a pot and add salt to the water.
2. Once the pasta is cooked, strain, rinse with water and coat with olive oil. 

The official stance on salting pasta water is to make it as salty as the ocean. We find that this can be a bit too much, so feel free to add as much or as little as you want.

Veggies

While the pasta is cooking, it’s time to get started on the vegetables.

1. Dice the bell pepper, red onion, and asparagus into small pieces — about 1/4 inch. 
2. Heat a sautée pan with some oil and lightly sautée the vegetables. 
3. Once done, put them aside. 
4. Chop the mint and parsley together and put them aside. 
5. Segment (pull apart) the tangerines and add to the vegetables. 
6. Mix the lemon, lime, orange juice, and olive oil.

Once we have all the parts prepared, it’s time to combine everything together!

1. In the same pan as the vegetables, add the other ingredients. 
2. Begin to warm over low heat, add the orzo pasta to the vegetable mix. 
3. Adjust flavors with salt and pepper. 
4. One heated, put aside.

This orzo mix should be very bright and colorful a very light in texture and flavor. 

Crispy Fish

Ingredients:

• 4 Fish Filets | Approx. 4-6 Oz Each (Boneless with Skin On)
• Salt & Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Garnish — Like a Small Micro Herb Salad

Instructions:

1. Heat a pan with oil. 
2. Pat the fish filets dry with a paper towel. 
3. Season the fish with salt and pepper. 
4. Place fish skin side down in the pan. Be sure to lay the fish AWAY from you; you don’t want to splash hot oil on yourself.  
5. Cook fish for about 6-8 minutes, skin side down.
6. When the edges begin to brown and crisp, turn the fish over and cook another couple of minutes. 
7. When cooked, remove the fish from the pan.

Crispy Fish! Assemble!

Assembly for this dish is pretty simple. 

1. Start by making sure all the components are hot and ready to go.
2. We recommend you begin with the carrot puree on the bottom. Take about 1/4 cup of the puree and make a circle with it in the center of the plate. 
3. Place the orzo on top of the puree; make sure you can still see some of the carrots underneath the pasta. 
4. Put the fish, skin side up, on top of the pasta. You may have to nestle the fish down a bit, so it stays. 
5. Place the second piece of fish on top of the first. 

And that’s all, folks! From here, you can add any garnish you like or none at all. If you’re wondering what to use as a garnish, we love to get some fresh herb mix and make a little “salad” on top.

Want to see some of the other recipes you can try at home? Check out the Citrus Marinated Fish Filet with Roasted Veggies & Salad and Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Warm Salad & Wild Rice Pilaf on our blog!