Equipment
Ingredients
Asparagus Base
- 200 g asparagus woody ends, washed
- 500 ml water
- 5 g salt
Vinaigrette Emulsion
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 g fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
- 5 g fresh chives
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 1 garlic
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath in a separate bowl.
Add the tough asparagus ends to the boiling water. Cook until very tender, easily pierced with a fork.
Immediately drain the asparagus ends and transfer them into the ice bath to stop cooking and set the bright green color.
Drain the cooled asparagus well. Chop roughly.
In a high-speed blender, combine the boiled asparagus ends, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, chives, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Blend on high until completely smooth and emulsified.
Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or jar, pressing with a spatula to extract the liquid while leaving behind any remaining fibrous woody pulp. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chef's Notes
- This recipe embraces 'root-to-stem' cooking. Use the tender tops of the asparagus for your main dish and this sauce to dress them.
- If the vinaigrette is too thick, thin it out with a teaspoon of cold water or more lemon juice.
- The flavor improves after sitting for 15 minutes as the garlic and herbs meld.
- For a creamier, vegan-mayo consistency, drizzle the oil in slowly while the blender is running rather than dumping it all in at once.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Color may darken slightly over time due to oxidation.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in ice cube trays for quick portions.
