Asparagus Salad the Italian Way
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
Asparagus Salad:
34 spears medium asparagus, 1/2 inch trimmed off the
bottom
1 shallot, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup 12-year-old balsamic
vinegar
8 basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
coarse sea salt to taste
ground black pepper
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked and sliced
2 to 3 teaspoons black or white truffle oil
Kosher salt to taste
Finish and Serve:
4 medium hard-boiled eggs, peeled and pushed through a
sieve or chopped fine
8 shaved slices Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 very thin truffle slices
Preparation:
To Make the Asparagus Salad:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch
asparagus until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold
water to stop the cooking. When cool, dice ten of the spears.
In a stainless-steel bowl, combine shallot and vinegar. Stir to combine
and let sit for 15 minutes.
In a food processor, combine diced asparagus spears, basil, parsley, lemon
zest and 1/2 cup of the oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a large
bowl and whisk in remaining oil. Whisk in mayonnaise, vinegar and shallot
and season with salt and pepper.
Toss potatoes with the truffle oil and season with kosher salt.
Finish and Serve:
Arrange six asparagus spears on each of four plates with
tips facing one way. Top spears with potatoes. Drizzle dressing over the
potatoes and asparagus. Garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg, Reggiano and
truffle slices.
Source: Ed Leonard, CMC
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