Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound thin asparagus, 1 inch trimmed from the bottoms
Sea salt or kosher salt
4½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced scallion (white part only)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1⁄8 teaspoon honey
4½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Mimosa (optional)
1 hard-cooked egg
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
DIRECTIONS
Fill a bowl with water and ice. If you have time, peel the lower 2 inches of the asparagus stalks, which makes the salad greener and more tender.
In a ten-inch sauté pan or saucepan wide enough to accommodate the asparagus, bring six cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt. When the water returns to a boil add the asparagus and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and transfer immediately to the ice bath until chilled. Drain well and blot thoroughly dry with paper towels.
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, scallion, mustard, and honey. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the oil until smoothly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the asparagus with the vinaigrette and arrange on a platter. Chill for 30 minutes to allow the asparagus to absorb the vinaigrette.
If making the mimosa, press the hard-cooked egg yolk through a wide mesh sieve into a bowl. Finely chop the egg white, and add it to the yolk, along with the chives. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the egg yolk and white together with chives and season with back pepper and a little salt. Sprinkle the mimosa over the asparagus just before serving.
Recipe Property of Peter Berley