Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil
2each Meyer Lemons
1cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Remove the peel of the lemons. Submerge the lemon peels in the Olive Oil. Place into a heavy bottomed pan over LOW heat. Allow the flavors to come together for 20 – 30 minutes.
Allow to cool for an hour with the peels still inside the oil. When cooled, strain the mixture and place the olive oil into a sealed bottle. You can throw in an herb at this time… Thyme & Rosemary go well with lemon.
*Meyer Lemons* are a fruity & floral lemon variety that come across much less bitter than a typical lemon.
Grilled Asparagus
1bunch Asparagus
1Tbsp Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil
Taste Fresh Cracked Black Pepper & Coarse Sea Salt
Trim off the asparagus bottoms. A good rule of thumb is to hold one piece of asparagus at each tip. Bend until it snaps. Cut the rest of the asparagus at the same height.
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Place the asparagus into the water. Allow to cook 30 seconds (skinny asparagus), 1 minute (fat asparagus). Remove and immediately cool in ice water.
Dry the asparagus thoroughly. Toss Asparagus in Infused Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper.
Using a Grill (med/high), or sauté pan: Sear the Asparagus lightly (30 seconds, turn 30 seconds). They should be crisp and have a bite.
For this dish I typically cool the asparagus immediately, but you can serve it hot with the cold sashimi if you like.
* Reserve your bottoms for soups/stocks/or an egg white scramble!
Sashimi/Nigiri
Slice the fish into a 1oz portion (about half the width of your pinkie). I find the “Nigiri” style cut more palatable, but its up to you! Make sure that you slice it at an angle against the grain. Not sure what I mean? Here is a resource:
Plating
Pour 2 Tbsp Infused Oil into a small bowl. Dredge the sliced fish in the oil (just to moisten).
Wrap 2 or 3 pieces of asparagus with the fish. Season with fresh cracked salt & pepper (we used Himalayan Pink salt from worldmarket).
Chef’s Notes
Sashimi is the perfect summer delight! Light, nutritious, & packed with protein… Don’t be intimidated. Sushi & Sashimi are very simple to prepare & easy to please with. (Chef’s Secret) Don’t skimp on fish!
Go to a proper fish market, and get the freshest fish possible.
Use your imagination & this recipe as a guide! Olive oil infusions can be used in absolutely everything. Some excellent examples are Lemon, Orange, Clementine, Roasted Garlic, Serrano Chiles, Fresh Herbs… and even vanilla bean!
Salmon, Ahi, Yellowtail, Hamachi (pacific yellowtail), and many others… all make amazing sashimi. Go chat up your local fish monger. In San Diego, I like Blue Water (Mission Hills), Pt. Loma Seafood (Point Loma), Catalina Offshore (Linda Vista), The Fishery (Pacific Beach).
*Be sure to ask the fish monger to place the fish on crushed ice for your trip home.
*Buy from a reputable vendor & keep the fish ice cold at all times.
*Always use a sharp knife.
*Air & Temperature are the enemy. Keep the fish covered, and don’t slice it until you intend to serve it.
*If you make this dish ahead, place back into the refrigerator and keep below 40 degrees until you serve
*If you smell “a fishy smell”… This is a great sign that you shouldn’t consider it worthy of eating raw.
Chef Jason Martin takes 13 years as a restaurant chef, a bachelors degree in nutrition, a culinary degree, and a personal life that includes triathlon competition, and uses all of it, for inspiration, to shed new light on nutritious cuisine.
Chef Jason is the owner of Nutrition-n-motion, a healthy meal delivery company with the mission to help you live a healthy lifestyle and give you a convenient and cost effective tool to help you reach your dietary goals no matter what they may be. For more information about Chef Jason visit www.nutrition-n-motion.com.
