I’ve always been wary of heating or cooking mayonnaise. I avoid recipes that call for mixing it in and then baking (like a lot of spinach artichoke dips, for example), presumably holding on to some superstition from my youth that hot mayo will make you sick. Well, it was a huge surprise for me to see one of my favorite cooks (from SPQR in San Fran) talking about using mayo as a marinade for vegetables prior to grilling. If SPQR can make brussel sprouts taste so good, it’s only fair that I let them have a shot at asparagus too. And guess what? This recipe is now my new favorite for easy summer asparagus.
Grocery list: 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup stoneground mustard, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, 1 pound asparagus.
Wash the asparagus and break off the toughest part of the stems. You’ll want to start the marinade at least 30 minutes before you grill them.
To make the marinade, combine the mayo, mustard and olive oil in a small bowl. Zest the lemon, and then add all of its juice as well. Crush or mince the garlic and add that to the bowl, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Whisk the marinade together. I reserved a couple of tablespoons at this point, so there would be some sauce to accompany the grilled asparagus, but it’s up to you.
In a large glass dish, place the asparagus and then pour the marinade over. Shake to coat. As you can see, this recipe makes more than enough marinade to adequately cover a pound of asparagus, so you could even add more. After 30 minutes in the fridge, grill over medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. The asparagus will blister and turn brown, making a delicious crust. Serve with the leftover marinade.
Mon, Jun 8, 2009
Apps + Sides