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Asparagus- Grilled Asparagus with Tangerine Mayonnaise

Source of Recipe

KQED


Recipe Introduction

Grilling adds a wonderful flavor to asparagus and makes this dish a popular addition to our spring menu. Unless you serve platter after platter of asparagus (not a bad idea at all), however, you will have more mayonnaise than you need. But that is good news, as it tastes great on all sorts of vegetables and on poached fish, and can be used to bind a chicken salad or as a sandwich spread. I prefer to parboil asparagus spears before grilling them. Unless very thin, the spears become acrid and dehydrate if grilled raw. Cook them over an ebbing fire. You want a delicate grilled flavor to add complexity, rather than overwhelm the taste of the asparagus. Serves 4 to 6.

List of Ingredients



2 cups freshly squeezed tangerine juice
2 tangerines
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg yolk (see chef's notes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup pure olive oil, plus more for tossing
with and brushing on asparagus
2 large bunches asparagus, about 2 pounds total,
trimmed and cooked for 3 minutes
(cook in rapidly boiling, well-salted water
until they barely bend when held at one end)
Long curls of tangerine zest, fresh or candied
Coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts (optional)




Recipe

Put the juice in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Let cool to room temperature. Peel the tangerines, removing all the white pith, and segment over a bowl to catch both the segments and the juices. Cover and refrigerate until very cold.

Combine the reduced juice, tarragon, egg yolk, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until well mixed. With the machine running, add the 1 cup olive oil, at first by drops and then, as mixture emulsifies, in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is incorporated. Taste for seasoning. Scrape into a jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 1-2/3 cups mayonnaise. (Keeps 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)

Prepare the grill and let burn down to medium coals. Toss the cooled asparagus with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium to low coals, turning the spears as needed, until they take on a little color and are just tender, about 6 minutes. Cover the grill if necessary to maintain the heat.

Arrange the asparagus on a platter with the reserved tangerine segments. Dot with the mayonnaise, and drizzle with any tangerine juice left in the bowl. Garnish with fresh or candied zest and the nuts, if using. Serve at once.

Chef's Notes: Every cook has insecurities. One of mine is mayonnaise. I always get a little anxious until I see it coming together in the blender. If the mayonnaise is too thick, thin it with the machine running, by pulsing in a little cool water. If you are concerned about raw eggs, use a pasteurized egg product or an egg substitute such as Egg Beaters.