Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Asparagus

It’s hard to resist the lure of crispy anything. Here, quick-cooking fillets of fish are slathered in a deeply flavorful combination of miso, butter, and panko, then broiled until the breadcrumbs form a toasty, golden crust. My days as a line cook at Perry St restaurant in New York inspired the technique behind this dish. It was my first job out of culinary school, and in the winter we’d make a similar dish using roast cod topped with a thin sheet of truffle butter reinforced with panko. This is an easier, far more accessible version that’s just as tasty. I use my preferred technique of cooking fish with the skin on (it holds the flesh together as it cooks) yet with no intention of getting it crispy—I just lift the fish away from the skin when it’s time to serve. I find that chasing crispy fish skin is a heartbreaking pursuit, so I don’t even bother. Besides, you won’t miss it with all the texture from the buttery panko business on top. —Shilpa Uskokovic