This Weeks Recipes
From the San Francisco Chronicle

Roasted Halibut & Asparagus with Melted Leeks
Spicy Curry Fried Rice with Shrimp
Duck Breasts with Lentil Ragout, Glazed Turnips, Watercress & Rhubarb Salad
Orange Bay Salt
Bay Shrimp Salad with Tarragon Dressing
Steamed Spot Prawns with Ginger & Scallions
Fritto Misto

Roasted Halibut & Asparagus with Melted Leeks
Serve with basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound medium-thick asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds halibut (skin on), about 1 1/2 inches thick
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), washed and thinly sliced
1 cup low-salt fish stock or chicken broth
Squeeze of lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Snap off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus spears. Toss in 1 teaspoon olive oil, or enough to coat, and salt and pepper on a heavy-duty baking sheet, then place in the preheated oven. Roast until tender in the middle and browned, stirring once, about 20 minutes.
3. Coat a small baking sheet or glass baking pan with olive oil, then put in the fish skin-side down. Season well with salt and pepper, then fold under any thin parts. Place in the oven with the asparagus and roast until cooked through in the middle but still very tender, about 15 minutes depending on thickness. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the leek. Cook until browned and very tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, bring to a boil then simmer about 1 minute, until some of the liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.
5. Top the fish and asparagus with leeks.

Serves 4

PER SERVING: 280 calories, 40 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 55 mg cholesterol, 191 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Spicy Curry Fried Rice with Shrimp

This recipe is pretty spicy, especially if your curry powder has a lot of chile in it. If you'd prefer, cut the amount of Sriracha in half, then add more to taste when you serve it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha chile sauce (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup medium-diced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups leftover cooked rice
10 ounces precooked pink bay shrimp
2 eggs, beaten
Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, chile sauce and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Place a wok over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the vegetable oil and butter. When the butter is foaming, add the curry powder and onion and cook until the onion softens slightly, 3 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the rice, and toss until the grains have separated and softened. Toss in the shrimp and stir briefly to heat through.
3. Drizzle the sauce over, and toss until it coats the rice evenly. Move aside the rice to expose a portion of the bottom of the wok. Add the egg and allow to set, then scramble and chop up to toss into the stir fry. Season the rice to taste with salt, if needed.

Serves 4

Note: Sriracha is a mildly spicy Vietnamese chile sauce available in a squeeze bottle in many supermarkets.

PER SERVING: 380 calories, 18 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 13 g fat (4 g saturated), 215 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Duck Breasts with Lentil Ragout, Glazed Turnips, Watercress & Rhubarb Salad

This is a seasonal dish on Robbie Lewis' menu at Jardiniere restaurant in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:

For the lentils

2 cups Le Puy lentils
1 orange
1 slice of bacon
1 onion, peeled but root intact
1 carrot, peeled
1 rib of celery
1 cup red wine
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the vegetables

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches baby turnips, or 12 ounces small turnips cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 bunches radishes, trimmed
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves minced
1 tablespoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar
2 stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the salad

1 bunch watercress, hard stems removed
2 stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced

For the duck

6 Peking or Long Island duck breasts, about 6 ounces each; or 3 Muscovy duck breasts, about 14 ounces each
Orange-Bay Salt (see recipe)
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup duck or chicken stock, reduced to 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lentil ragout: Put the lentils in a colander and rinse with cold water. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off the orange, avoiding the pith. Tie the strips of peel together with kitchen twine. Juice the orange and set aside for later.
2. Cook the bacon in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat until the fat is rendered. Add the onion, carrot, celery and orange peel and sweat in the bacon fat for 5 minutes. Add the drained lentils and stir until they're thoroughly coated with the bacon fat. Add the wine and stock. Simmer slowly until the lentils are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes or according to package directions. Halfway through cooking, season the lentils with salt and pepper. When the lentils are done, remove the bacon strip, orange and vegetables from the pan and discard. Place the lentils in a bowl and set aside.
3. The vegetables: Add the oil to the saucepan and heat over medium high. When the oil is hot, add the turnips and radishes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and saute until the vegetables begin to color. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Add the rhubarb pieces, adjust seasoning, and cook 3 minutes longer. Set aside.
4. The salad: Toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
5. The duck: Season the skin of the duck breasts with Orange-Bay Salt (see recipe) and pepper.
6. Place a saute pan over medium-low heat and lightly coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the duck breast, skin-side down, and cook slowly until the skin crisps to a golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour off the rendered duck fat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Turn the breasts over and cook for another 4 minutes or until the meat is medium-rare and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 125°. (The 14-ounce duck breasts will take a few minutes more than the 6-ounce ones.) Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
7. To serve: Place the vegetables in a pan and reheat over low. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
8. Place the lentils in a separate pan, and reheat over low heat. Add the reduced stock and the reserved orange juice, along with a splash of vinegar if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Toss the salad with the remaining oil, Banyuls vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
10. On 6 warm plates, place the vegetables in a ring and scoop 1/2 cup of lentils in the middle of each. Place the salad on the plate next to the vegetables. Slice the duck and serve over the salad.

Serves 6

PER SERVING: 1,085 calories, 40 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 82 g fat (26 g saturated), 141 mg cholesterol, 159 mg sodium, 18 g fiber.

Orange Bay Salt

Prepare this seasoning the night before you plan to cook the duck-rhubarb dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 orange
4 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Zest the orange, using the colored part only. Let the zest air-dry overnight in a warm place.
2. The next day, combine the dried zest, salt and bay leaf in a coffee/spice grinder. Grind until zest and bay leaf are completely broken down. Cover and set aside until ready to use in the duck recipe.

Bay Shrimp Salad with Tarragon Dressing

The northern pink bay shrimp found in the Pacific are some of the sweetest shrimp for salad-making. They are available cooked or uncooked. If you can order them uncooked and poach them gently yourself, they are even sweeter and complement the flavor of springtime tarragon.

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

1 pound cooked bay shrimp
2 hearts of romaine, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/3 cup fresh, peeled water chestnuts, 1/8-inch dice

Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh chives
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
5-6 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the salad: Thoroughly dry the shrimp by patting with a towel. This is necessary especially if you're using previously frozen shrimp.
2. Place shrimp, lettuce and water chestnuts in a bowl and set aside.
3. For the dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine all of the dressing ingredients and process until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Serves 6

PER SERVING: 290 calories, 14 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (4 g saturated),124 mg cholesterol, 730 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Steamed Spot Prawns with Ginger & Scallions

This is the basic, classic Chinese preparation for any live seafood, and it always is a hit, underscoring the prawns' natural sweetness. Most seafood sellers will package spot prawns to stay alive for several hours. If you get a few with roe attached, consider yourself lucky; it is a delicacy.

INGREDIENTS:

6 live spot prawns (about 3/4 pound)
Kosher salt to taste
2 teaspoons light soy sauce (light-colored, like Pearl River Bridge; not low-sodium)
1 tablespoon Xiaoxing or rice wine
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon finely slivered fresh ginger, in 2-inch lengths
2 green onions, slivered in 2-inch lengths
Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Split the spot prawns in half lengthwise: Holding the prawn at the head end, place the tip of a sharp chef's knife at joint of the head and body and with one stroke cut up through to the tip of the head, then down all the way through the tail meat. You should have two perfect halves. Remove the vein. Do not lose the roe, if you are lucky enough to get prawns with roe. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Combine soy sauce, Xiaoxing wine, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger and green onions in a bowl; set aside.
3. Prepare a steamer by pouring 2 to 3 inches of water into a wok, Dutch oven or stockpot. Make sure you have a domed lid for the wok so that there is plenty of space for steam to swirl around under the lid. Place a rack or trivet in the water. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
4. Arrange the prawns on a glass pie plate or ceramic serving dish with sloped edges that can perch on the rack or trivet with room for steam to rise all around it. Cover the wok. Turn heat to medium and steam for 7 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook. Carefully remove the plate from the steamer.
5. Stir the seasonings again and drizzle over the cooked shrimp. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 2 to 3 as an main dish.

PER APPETIZER SERVING: 55 calories, 9 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 81 mg cholesterol, 193 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Fritto Misto

The light coating and quick frying retain the freshness of vegetables and seafood. You can use a variety of seafood -- calamari, halibut, salmon, baby scallops -- and whatever produce you like.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pint buttermilk
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 purple baby artichokes
2 baby artichokes
1 lemon, cut in half, one half sliced into paper-thin rounds
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 pound whole, head-on small white shrimp (20 count), split lengthwise
1/2 white onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
8 green beans
1 stalk green garlic, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
6 pitted olives such as green olives stuffed with garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour the buttermilk into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, paprika and salt.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Remove outer leaves of artichokes, cut off the tough end of the stalk and peel the stalk. Rub artichokes with the lemon half. Boil for 3-5 minutes, until a knife can pierce them easily. Drain, let cool, then cut into quarters.
3. While artichokes are cooling, pour oil into a large saucepan to a depth of 3-4 inches. Heat the oil to 350° on a deep-fry thermometer.
4. The best method for frying is to do it in batches. (For best results, separate shrimp into 2 or 3 batches, depending on size of your pot). Submerge the shrimp (or other food) in buttermilk, then dredge in flour. Shake off any excess flour, then carefully slip it into the oil. Let fry until it turns a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove, drain on paper towels, and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat until all the ingredients, artichokes to olives, have been fried. Serve piled high on a plate, with a side of garlic mayonnaise and fried lemon slices as garnish.

Serves 4

PER SERVING: 215 calories, 14 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 68 mg cholesterol, 1,112 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.