2 weeks ago
8
A salad of spring vegetables is all about balance. Delicate asparagus, peas and radish don’t call for lots of acidity; they want just enough to heighten their flavour without masking it. A little good olive oil and vinegar is perfect to season these harbingers of spring. Look for fat, juicy asparagus as opposed to thin, spindly spears. The herbaceous gribiche brings everything together.
Ingredients
For the salad
500g fat, firm asparagus spears (about 2-4 bunches)
¾ cup (about 100g) cooked peas (use either frozen and thawed, or fresh)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chardonnay vinegar
6-8 radishes, preferably French Breakfast, thinly sliced
several handfuls of watercress
Gribiche
2 eggs
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp French tarragon, chopped
3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp watercress, chopped
1 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp seeded mustard
1 tsp chardonnay vinegar
sea salt and black pepper
Method
To blanch the asparagus
Step 1
Fill a wide saucepan with heavily salted water and bring to a boil. Snap the woody ends from each asparagus spear and, using a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom third of each spear to remove any woody or stringy skin.
Step 2
Drop the prepped asparagus spears into the boiling water for 1-3 minutes. You want them to be tender but still retain some crunch and bright green vibrancy; start checking them after about 1 minute to be sure.
Step 3
When cooked, lift them out gently using a hand strainer or tongs, and spread them on a tray to steam and dry.
For the gribiche
Step 1
To make the gribiche, place the eggs in a small saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes, then remove and cool them under cold running water. Peel, and set aside to fully cool.
Step 2
Roughly chop the eggs and combine with the remaining gribiche ingredients, including a good pinch of salt and black pepper, in the bowl of a food processor. Process until everything is evenly combined and finely minced. Alternatively, you can mix everything by hand, which gives you a coarser texture but one that is still delicious. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
To assemble
In a bowl, toss the cooked asparagus and peas with the olive oil and vinegar, then assemble on individual plates or a serving platter. Spoon the gribiche over the salad and garnish with the thinly sliced radish and watercress; an extra drizzle of good olive oil would be welcome.
