DUO TO GO .ASPARAGUS and FISH WITH BREAD CRUMBS

ASPARAGUS

Exhibelle the French tart says that these two although strangely paired are perfect together, she may be right, years ago on the cross channel ferry me and her had Chicken Diablos with ice cold Guinness and that was a strange pairing made in heaven.

Asparagus can be prepared in many different ways but the simplest and best is that of boiling them and serving them seasoned with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. However there are other ways as, for instance, the following: Put them whole to brown a little with the green part in butter and, after seasoning them with salt, pepper and a pinch of grated cheese, pour over the melted butter when it is browned. Or else divide the white from the green part and place them as follows in a fireproof plate: Dust the bottom with grated cheese and dispose over the points of the asparagus one near the other; season with salt, pepper, grated cheese and little pieces of butter. Make another layer of asparagus and, seasoning in the same way, continue until you have them. Be moderate in the seasoning. Cross the layers of asparagus like a trestle, put on the oven and keep until the seasoning, is melted. Serve hot.

If you have some brown stock, parboil them first and complete the cooking with brown stock,
 adding a little bust and dusting moderately with grated cheese.Exibelle says you can also put a fried egg or poached egg on top after you have put some greated parmesan on top.So eat the Asparagus with this dish below

FISH WITH BREAD CRUMBS

(Pesce col pane grattato)

This, which can also be served as a side-dish, is made especially when you have boiled fish of good quality left over.

Cut it into little pieces, remove carefully all the bones, then put it in the balsamella  and season with enough salt, grated cheese and some mushrooms chopped fine. If dried mushrooms soften in water first. Then take a fireproof plate, grease it evenly with butter and dust with bread crumbs ground fine; pour into it the fish prepared as above and cover with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Finally put over a piece of butter, brown in the oven and serve hot.