Sea bass on white & green asparagus potato mousse with silky asparagus sauce

How Maurice does it

1. 1

   Peel the white asparagus and trim the woody ends. Cut both white and green asparagus into small pieces, reserving the peels and end pieces.

2. 2

   Make the asparagus stock: simmer the reserved peels and end pieces with 500 ml water and a stock cube for about 15 minutes, then strain and set aside.

3. 3

   Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain and mash with a splash of milk or cooking water until smooth.

4. 4

   Melt 30 g butter in a pan and fry the chopped asparagus pieces until soft, about 5–7 minutes.

5. 5

   Transfer the cooked asparagus to a blender with a splash of asparagus stock and blend into a smooth purée. Fold the asparagus purée into the mashed potatoes and season to taste.

6. 6

   Pat the sea bass fillets dry and season with salt. Pan-fry skin-side down in a hot pan for 3–4 minutes, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more. Remove and set aside (skin can be removed if preferred).

7. 7

   In the same pan, melt 30 g butter and sauté the chopped shallot and garlic until soft. Add the lemon juice and 2 tbsp asparagus stock, and simmer for about 8 minutes.

8. 8

   Stir in the cream, simmer briefly, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a measuring cup.

9. 9

   To plate, spoon the asparagus-potato mousse onto plates, place the sea bass on top, and pour the strained sauce over and around the fish.