Asparagus & Egg Salad

This recipe, in addition to being simple and delicious, showcases asparagus’s versatility, combining blanched and raw asparagus in a salad for a playful mix of textures.

Yield: 4 servings

1½ bunches of asparagus
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 lemons, juiced
1 anchovy fillet
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and chopped
¾ pounds of Pecorino Romano DOP, grated
2 eggs, raw
3 cups of vegetable oil
1 hard-boiled egg
Salt, to taste

Rinse off the asparagus. Remove the bottom part of the stem by grabbing the bottom and middle part of the asparagus and snapping it. It will break where it stops being too fibrous (this part of the asparagus can be woody and tough to chew).

Put aside 6 stalks of asparagus. Slice the raw asparagus on an angle into thin ovals.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the remaining asparagus stalks, cooking them until they turn bright green, about 5 minutes.

Remove the blanched asparagus stalks and run them under cold water to stop them from continuing to cook. Cut the blanched asparagus on an angle into 1-inch pieces. Put the chopped raw and blanched asparagus aside.

Combine the garlic, lemon juice, anchovy fillet, capers, grated cheese, and eggs in a blender. Blend the ingredients until well combined. Slowly drizzle in oil until the mixture has the consistency of a thin mayonnaise. If the mixture is too thick, add in a small amount of ice-cold water while the blender is running (not too much though or the sauce will separate).

Take the hard-boiled egg and grate it on a box grater. All of the above steps can also be done a day ahead of time.

In a mixing bowl, combine the raw and blanched asparagus with ½ cup of the Pecorino vinaigrette and a pinch of salt. Taste the salad for seasoning.

Sprinkle with grated egg and serve.