Flounder, Asparagus & Vidalia Onions Roasted in an Herb Butter Rub Served with Orzo, Dressed in a Lemon Butter Sauce

Clearly Summer is the time for fresh, light, and citrus. This dish requires a bit more preparation and can get complicated, in part due to my making two separate sauces - the herb butter which the fish, onions and asparagus cooked in and the lemon-butter sauce which I made to serve over the fish, veggies, and pasta.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and start with the herb butter. In a bowl, beat 4 tablespoons of softened butter with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons of minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon of fresh minced thyme, 1 teaspoon of fresh minced chives, the zest from 1 lemon, the juice from two lemons, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Using a dab of extra virgin olive oil, I oiled a 9x13 cooking dish and layered the bottom with 2 or 3 thinly sliced vidalia onions, then the asparagus. Generously rub down the flounder fillets with the herb butter and lay on top of the onions and asparagus.

The flounder will cook pretty quickly depending on thickness; to avoid overcooking I generally go with 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Toss it in the oven. Put on the water to boil for the orzo.

Once your fish is nearly finished, move on to the lemon butter sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat in a small saucepan with the zest from 1 lemon. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring until the mixture just begins to color. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and the juice from 1 lemon, wisking vigorously to smooth out any lumps or chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the fish, onions and asparagus, and orzo have been plated, pour the sauce over and serve.