Simple Thursday Evening

Sometimes the quick, mid-week meals turn out to taste the best and look even better. Those who know me well might miss the days of my grand presentations. I used to design the plate with as much intensity as I would cook the dish. A drizzle of sauce around the rim of the plate, a quick sprinkle of spice in little piles or a perfect talk garnish standing off the top of the food would not be uncommon. I grew board with that and started using a more rustic style presentation.

With that said, every once in a while, the pretty plates come back. This usually happens at the very last second as I start to plate the dish. This past Thursday I had some fresh asparagus, red snapper and a few lemons. When the hot snapper came out of the pan I began to stack the plates and wound up with this pretty, little, tasty dish.

1. A bed of sauteed asparagus in lemon juice and white wine
2. A piece of red snapper spiced with smoked paprika, salt and pepper
3. kalamata olives (medium chop)
4. carmalized shallots
5. lemon zest
6. repeat 2-5 with another layer
7. fresh parsley
8. drizzle pan juice around base. (lemon juice, wine, garlic)