Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut Aioli

Tools

By Todd Johnson

Story Published: Mar 31, 2008 at 12:07 PM PST

Story Updated: Mar 31, 2008 at 12:07 PM PST

Ingredients

Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut Aioli - 8/9/2004

2 bunches of fat Washington asparagus 1 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp. sugar 1 Tbl. garlic
1 1/2 Tbl. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks 1/4 cup hazelnut oil
1 Tbl. water

Directions

Wash asparagus and break off the bottom 3 inches that is the tough woody part. Brush with olive oil and grill over hot coals for 1 minute on each side. Season with salt while cooking.

To make the hazelnut aioli, first toast the hazelnuts in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. After they cool, put them in a dishtowel and rub off the skin.

In a food processor, mix the toasted hazelnuts, sugar, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, egg yolks and 1/2 tsp. salt. Process until smooth. Drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup hazelnut oil slowly while the food processor is still running. The mixture will slowly smulsify and form a mayonnaise-like consistency. Then add the water.

You can make the aioli up to 3 days in advance. Just keep it in a refrigerator. To serve, coat the grilled asparagus with the aioli. Serves 4-6.

Recipe from Kathy Casey, Heart of Washington chef. For more recipes featuring Washington ingredients, go to heartofwashington.com.

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.