Early spring: green spears spike into cool, rain-cleared air, fragrant golden lemon globes hang low, and thin, soil-kissed new garlic stalks wait for longer, bulb-setting days.
This simple sauce captures spring’s essence in a velvety richness. Ushered forth through a tongue-coating Meyer lemon aioli, the gentle flavors of asparagus and green garlic mingle to create a tribute to early spring’s bounty.
You should prepare this sauce and use it within a few hours--the asparagus will cause the sauce to break if you try to store it for more than 8 hours. Spoon the spring love onto sliced tri-tip, seared salmon, poached eggs, or sautéed Maitake mushrooms.
Sauté:
1 cup small diced asparagus
3 tablespoons finely diced green garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make the aioli:
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
1. In a sauté pan, slowly cook the green garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on low heat for about 2 minutes, and then add in the small diced asparagus.
2. Cook the asparagus so it is just barely cooked through—this should take about 2.5 minutes.
3. Set aside the asparagus-garlic mixture to cool.
4. Make the aioli:
A. Place the egg yolk, Meyer lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.
B. Briefly blend the ingredients until they form an emulsion, then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil with the processor on. Start by adding the oil drop by drop as the processor blade turns. Once 40% of the oil is emulsified, you can speed up the rate at which you add the oil, but don’t go too fast or the mixture will break.
C. When all of the oil is emulsified, check the mixture for acidity. If you need more acidity, just add another splash of the lemon juice.
5. Place the aioli in stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the chopped capers and the cooled green garlic and asparagus mixture. Add the hot red pepper flakes and season with salt to taste.
6. Spoon the sauce over sliced tri-tip, poached eggs, or seared salmon, and serve.
This simple sauce captures spring’s essence in a velvety richness. Ushered forth through a tongue-coating Meyer lemon aioli, the gentle flavors of asparagus and green garlic mingle to create a tribute to early spring’s bounty.
You should prepare this sauce and use it within a few hours--the asparagus will cause the sauce to break if you try to store it for more than 8 hours. Spoon the spring love onto sliced tri-tip, seared salmon, poached eggs, or sautéed Maitake mushrooms.
Sauté:
1 cup small diced asparagus
3 tablespoons finely diced green garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make the aioli:
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
1. In a sauté pan, slowly cook the green garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on low heat for about 2 minutes, and then add in the small diced asparagus.
2. Cook the asparagus so it is just barely cooked through—this should take about 2.5 minutes.
3. Set aside the asparagus-garlic mixture to cool.
4. Make the aioli:
A. Place the egg yolk, Meyer lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.
B. Briefly blend the ingredients until they form an emulsion, then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil with the processor on. Start by adding the oil drop by drop as the processor blade turns. Once 40% of the oil is emulsified, you can speed up the rate at which you add the oil, but don’t go too fast or the mixture will break.
C. When all of the oil is emulsified, check the mixture for acidity. If you need more acidity, just add another splash of the lemon juice.
5. Place the aioli in stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the chopped capers and the cooled green garlic and asparagus mixture. Add the hot red pepper flakes and season with salt to taste.
6. Spoon the sauce over sliced tri-tip, poached eggs, or seared salmon, and serve.
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