Serves 4
Asparagus and smoke are great friends and this dish shows off that relationship quite nicely. The sauce is rich, bright and memorable.
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
8 ounces cattails, trimmed
1 small bundle of juniper branches
Olive oil
Flake salt
Set a grill grate about 6 inches above hot coals.
Grill the asparagus until char marks appear and they are tender. If the asparagus are quite large I recommend blanching them at home before bringing them along on your adventure. Not necessary though.
Just before pulling the asparagus and cattails off the grill set the juniper branches directly on the coals. Let the smoke bath the grilling vegetables for a minute or two before removing from the fire and setting on your platter.
Drizzle olive oil and flake salt over the top then finish with a generous amount of the smoked egg gribiche.
Smoked Egg Gribiche
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichons
2 smoked hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped dill
Flake salt
In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients and stir well. Taste and season to your liking.
