Asparagus get coated in cheesy breadcrumbs and roast in the oven until crispy. They turn into an elegant side of asparagus “fries,” without any deep frying. Make sure to spoon any extra sauce onto the fish—it’s delicately sweet, with just a hint of butter. Cook, relax, and enjoy!

What you’ll need:
1 oz Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup panko
8 oz asparagus
1 large navel orange
1 fennel bulb
1 pat butter
12 oz cod
large egg
all-purpose flour
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Equipment:
grater or microplane
rimmed baking sheet
large ovenproof skillet

Recipe steps:

1. Prepare breading
   Preheat oven to 425°F. Grate Parmesan. Whisk 1 egg in a shallow bowl or tray. Place ¼ cup flour in another shallow bowl. In a large bowl, combine panko and Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Bread asparagus
   Working in batches, coat asparagus in flour, dip into egg, then coat in panko mixture, pressing to coat.

3. Bake fries
   Place asparagus in a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Season with salt. Leave oven on.

4. Cook fennel
   Meanwhile, juice orange. Slice fennel through the core into ½ inch pieces. Melt butter in a large oven proof skillet with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel slices and brown on each side, 5 minutes total. Add orange juice and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.

5. Bake fish
   Season fish with salt and pepper. Flip fennel in skillet then place fish on top. Tent with foil and bake in oven until fish is just cooked through, 7-9 minutes.

6. Finish
   Remove fish from oven and spoon sauce several times over fish to baste. Place fennel on plates. Top with fish and sauce and serve with fries. Enjoy!

See what else is cooking this week!