Recipe: Green + White Asparagus Salad

Roger Ma, Executive Chef of Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, presents a dish for spring.
Hazelnut crisp
250ml hazelnut flour
15g all purpose flour
6 springs thyme leaves
6 sprigs rosemary leaves
10 oz chicken stock
3oz butter
30g chopped hazelnuts
3g salt
1g baking powder
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk.
3. With a second piece of sprayed parchment, cover the mixture and roll out with a rolling pin.
4. Bake at 350F till cooked (about 16 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. Fry in canola oil at 350F until golden brown.
Whipped ricotta
250g ricotta
130g mascarpone
2g lemon zest
25g lemon juice
1 shake of Tabasco sauce
2g chopped tarragon
1g chopped chives
2g salt
3g honey
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip with a whisk, then use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture to incorporate air. Set aside.
Grainy Dijon
20g Dijon mustard
1 soft boil egg cooked for 4.5 minutes
20g sherry vinegar
5g honey
1 shake of Tabasco sauce
7g kosher salt
400g canola oil
100g water
75g whole grain mustard
cracked black pepper to taste
Method
1. In a container, combine Dijon, egg, sherry vinegar, honey, tabasco, salt and pepper.
2. Using an immersion hand blender, buzz ingredients till mixed, slowly drizzling in canola oil while buzzing till emulsion starts. Add water when mixture becomes to thick a little at a time alternating between water and oil.
3. Add whole grain mustard into the mix and adjust seasoning. Store and reserve.
To finish
3pc jumbo green asparagus, split lengthwise
40g whipped ricotta
25g worth of white asparagus
Grainy Dijon
4 pieces hazelnut crisp
Asparagus shavings
Fresh salad greens
Pickled cipollini onions
Assembly
1. For the green asparagus, trim and clean asparagus stalks with pairing knife removing little leaves. Blanch in salted boiling water till tender but not overcooked. They need to be bright green when you remove them from the water.
2. For the white asparagus, peel starting from the bottom of the tip to the end (the trimmed bottom ends can be saved for soup). Blanch in salted boiling water with sugar to remove bitterness. These take about 5-6 minutes to fully cook.
3. To assemble, pipe or spoon the whipped ricotta on the plate and arrange asparagus pieces around ricotta. Add small spoonful’s of grainy Dijon. Top with a few salad greens, asparagus shavings, pickled cipollini onions, and four pieces of hazelnut crisp.
© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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