Asparagus Mimosa
This “mimosa” refers not to the popular brunch beverage, instead to the garnish of chopped egg white and egg yolk that brings to mind the mimosa flower. Verjus is an acidic condiment made from underripe wine grapes, look for it with vinegars or in specialty markets.
Extra vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It works great as an all-purpose dressing for salads or vegetables.
Extra mayonnaise can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
Asparagus Mimosa
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 fat asparagus spears, washed, root end snapped off
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon capers, drained
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, whites and yolks finely chopped separately
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add enough salt that it tastes like the ocean. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and just tender without being soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and immediately add to the ice water. Once fully chilled, drain the asparagus and lay out on a kitchen towel to dry.
Lemon-Verjus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons verjus
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
Directions
- In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, verjus, shallot, mustard, and sugar. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue whisking until all are combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mustard mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups olive oil (mild or a blended olive/canola oil)
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Combine the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, and shallot in a small deep bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend the yolk mixture, then with the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream to emulsify the mixture until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, trim the asparagus spear bottoms so they are even and tidy, and put them in a large bowl. Drizzle 2 to 4 tablespoons (to your taste) of the lemon-verjus vinaigrette over, add the parsley, shallot, and capers, and toss to mix. Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise in the center of 2 plates. Arrange the asparagus spears with the vinaigrette on top. Top with the chopped egg whites, then the egg yolks. Serve right away.
