Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche and Fried Capers

Ingredientes

6 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

¼ cup drained capers, patted dry, plus 2 tablespoons caper brine

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

4 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Kosher salt

½ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

⅓ cup packed fresh tarragon, chopped

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Instruções

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the capers and cook, stirring, until most of the bubbling has subsided and the capers are crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to a small paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the skillet, leaving the oil in it.

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar and shallot. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Halve the hard-cooked eggs. Add the yolks to the shallots; finely chop the whites. To the yolks, add the mustard, horseradish, caper brine and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash with a fork until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chopped egg whites, parsley, tarragon and 3 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet.

Return the skillet to high until the oil shimmers. Add the asparagus and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, tossing once or twice, until bright green with lightly charred spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, then cover and reduce to medium. Cook until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus and sprinkle with the fried capers.

Notas

Don’t be timid when patting the capers dry. Lay them out on paper towels, then press on them with additional towels. Removing the moisture minimizes splattering as they fry. Also, don’t allow the oil to smoke during frying; it also is used in the dressing and to cook the asparagus, but will taste bitter if it gets too hot.

The classic French sauce gribiche is similar to mayonnaise, but made with cooked, not raw, egg yolks, and seasoned with capers and herbs. For this dish, we used white balsamic vinegar instead of conventional wine vinegar because we preferred balsamic’s mild sweetness. And instead of adding capers to the sauce, we used caper brine; the capers themselves we fried to create a crisp garnish for the asparagus. Finally, a dose of horseradish gave the sauce a welcome piquancy. When buying asparagus, choose spears that are similar in size; we preferred pencil-sized spears. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness.