Ingredients
Coarse salt
4 shallots, peeled
3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, trimmed
2 tablespoons milk
1 pound small wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, morels, or trumpets, cleaned, stems and caps reserved separately
2 strips (3 inches long) lemon zest
1 pound cod fillet, cut into 4 pieces, skin and bones removed, and reserved
8 pencil asparagus, trimmed, tough stems peeled, and halved lengthwise
Fresh chives, for garnish
Preparation
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the shallots. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the oil and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Remove garlic; set aside to cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel, discarding skins. Transfer garlic to a mortar. Using a pestle, mash to a paste. Add milk, and combine. Season with salt; set aside.
To the garlic oil, add the mushroom stems, and lemon zest; cook for 10 minutes. Add reserved bones and skin, cook, over low heat, for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan; discard solids.
Season the cod with salt, and add to the oil. Cook, over very low heat, until just opaque, 9 to 12 minutes. Carefully, transfer cod to a heatproof bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of the cooking oil, rotate bowl for about 15 seconds to emulsify oil; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add reserved shallots, asparagus, and mushroom caps. Cook until just heated through. Season with salt.
Evenly divide garlic puree between 4 shallow bowls. Top each with a cod fillet. Drizzle with a little of the emulsified oil. Garnish with vegetables, and a few chives; serve immediately.
