Grilled Salmon And Asparagus With Pasta

Directions

1. You can slice the salmon, blanch and roll-cut the asparagus well ahead, and chill till ready for final cooking and serving. Alternative fish: bass, haddock, sturgeon, and other hard-fleshed fish.
2. Remove the skin and any bones from the salmon and cut the fillet on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Set the slices aside. Peel the asparagus. Insert a sharp paring knife under the skin at the base and work it up toward the tip, making the cut shallower as the skin becomes thinner.
3. Taper the cut off completely about 2-3 inches below the tip. You can also use a vegetable peeler. Take a large pan which is wide sufficient to hold the asparagus lying down, fill it three-quarters full of water, and bring to a boil. Drop the asparagus into the water and cook at a rapid boil for 2-3 min, or possibly till they are just barely tender. Drain immediately and run the asparagus under cool water to stop the cooking action. Drain again and pat dry.
4. Roll-cut the asparagus stalks into bite-size pcs. Make a diagonal crosscut about 1 inch from the base of the stalk with the stalk lying flat.
5. Roll the asparagus a quarter turn and make a cut on the same diagonal, about an inch up the stalk from the first cut; continue rolling and cutting till you are just below the beginning of the asparagus tip.
6. Chill both the sliced salmon and the roll-cut asparagus for later cooking, if desired.
7. Before you are ready to serve, heat the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the lemon juice.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in the linguine, and cook till just tender, or possibly al dente. Drain and toss with just sufficient extra virgin olive oil to give it a light coating; season with salt and freshly grnd pepper.
9. Meanwhile, as the pasta is cooking, brush two baking sheets with the lemon butter. Lay out the salmon slices on one sheet and brush the top side of the slices with lemon butter. Toss the asparagus pcs with the remaining lemon butter and spread on the second sheet. Place the asparagus under a preheated broiler and broil for 4-5 min, turning the asparagus once or possibly twice. Then place the salmon under the broiler and broil for 2 min.
10. To serve, divide the pasta proportionately among 4 serving plates. Arrange equal portions of the asparagus and salmon on top of the pasta. Serve with lemon wedges.
11. Note: If you have two broilers, broil the salmon under one and the asparagus under the other. You may substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter to make the lemon sauce, if desired.
12. Morash.