Ben Jones' Parmesan-rusted Halibut with Asparagus

Recipes

Parmesan-rusted Halibut with Asparagus and Roasted Tomato and Corn Cream Sauce

By Ben Jones

In the same vein as the scallops, this halibut dish gives Jones the chance to create something his family will carry with them many meals later. “[Food/cooking] is a connection. It’s an experience. It creates a memory,” Ben Jones says. “Everybody has something that they remember because of the foods that they were eating at the time. So, there’s a lot to be said for the technique, style and overall passion for what you're doing. Regardless of whether it’s meatloaf or your daughter’s scallops, it's your family and your friends who are participating in that experience with you [and] are going to take a little bit of that wisdom. So that’s where I try to live somewhat on a daily basis. I don’t get to cook every day anymore, but when I do and when I’m able to roll my sleeves up and get dirty, it’s a joy.”

And it isn’t just personal. Jones has found this particular dish taking on new meaning now that he’s working in Milwaukee, a city he is slowly coming to know. “The halibut recipe is one that reminds me of how helpful and welcoming everyone is here in Milwaukee. It’s a simple dish but packs a lot of flavor and warmth filling you up.”

So here he’s created something particularly close to his heart, and with its use of fresh asparagus, it smacks very much of spring.

Ingredients

4-6 servings

Parmesan Halibut:

4 6-ounce halibut portions

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch of cayenne

Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, (cut off bottom two or three inches of each spear, depending on how thick they are)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Sauce:

2 Roma tomatoes, cut in quarters

3/4 cup of fresh or frozen corn off the cobb

1 shallot, minced

4 cloves of minced garlic

2 teaspoons chopped chives

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Turn the broiler on high in your oven. Combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese and set aside. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest and the cayenne in a small bowl. Season the halibut with kosher salt and ground white pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture across the top of each piece of halibut. The fish should be generously coated in the mayonnaise. Place the mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese on a plate or cookie sheet. Put each piece of fish into the breadcrumb mixture with the mayonnaise coating facing down into the breadcrumb mixture. Gently push the fish into the breadcrumbs to coat the fish fully. Remove the halibut from the breading and place it onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Set aside until ready to cook (finish the sauce, then cook the Halibut, and then cook the asparagus).

The Sauce:

Place the quartered Roma tomatoes on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little olive oil (about 2 teaspoons). Make sure the tomatoes are on their sides so the skin is exposed. Roast in the broiler until the tomatoes are soft and the skins are blistering (a little brown color is good). Remove the tomatoes from the broiler and allow them to cool down.

While cooling the tomatoes, sauté the garlic, shallots and corn in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the shallots are translucent. Add heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the cream has reduced by half. Once the tomatoes have cooled enough, rough chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces and add to the heavy cream after it has been reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with the fresh chopped chives.

The Asparagus:

Cut two to three inches off the bottom of the asparagus spears, as that tends to be the toughest part. In a large skillet, add 1 cup of water, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Turn the heat on high. Add your asparagus once the water starts to boil. Cook asparagus for three to four minutes, depending on how soft you like your asparagus.

Bio

With 20 years of experience as an executive chef, mostly in resorts and sports and entertainment venues, chef Ben Jones is bringing his luxury and creative expertise to the casino world. The vision at Potawatomi is to be the best, and Jones loves being a part of such a mission.

Ben Jones

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