It's summer, and with the start of warm weather comes Quebec asparagus! Here's a simple recipe you can prepare in under 20 minutes for your next happy hour or as a side dish for a festive dinner. This recipe will make you fall, or re-fall, in love with seasonal produce, especially truffle mayonnaise! Enjoy.
Serving: 2-4 people Total preparation time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Tempura
- 160 g store-bought tempura mix.
- 250 ml very cold sparkling water.
- 1 bunch of asparagus.
Blood orange gremolata
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped.
- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced.
- 1.5 tbsp white balsamic vinegar.
- Zest of one large blood orange.
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds.
- 3 tbsp olive oil.
- Salt, to taste.
For serving
- Truffle mayonnaise.
- A drizzle of lemon juice.
INSTRUCTIONS
First, blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Immediately plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain thoroughly. Set aside.
Prepare the gremolata by mixing the finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, minced garlic, white balsamic vinegar, blood orange zest, ground fennel seeds, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
For the tempura, heat the cooking oil to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, mix the tempura with the very cold sparkling water, just enough to obtain a light and homogeneous batter, without overworking the mixture.
Coat the blanched asparagus in the tempura batter, then fry until golden and crispy. Then place them on absorbent paper.
To serve, spread a layer of Appalachian truffle mayonnaise. Add the tempura asparagus on top, then garnish with the blood orange gremolata. Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice for freshness.
