Seafood Made Simple: Why this vegetable should be the focal point of your dish

The mayonnaise in this recipe is also great with a roast chicken, spuds and any roasted green vegetable. Picture Chani Anderson

Asparagus is one of those vegetables that I believe should always be the focal point of a plate of food – a tender spear, both nutty and sweet in flavour with a welcome undertone of bitterness. They’re the most elegant perennial vegetable; the short season where Irish-grown asparagus is available is now.

I picked up a couple of Gort na Nain asparagus bunches at My Goodness stall in The English Market. These spears are grown just outside the maritime town of Kinsale, Co Cork.

The opportunities for a veg-led dish with asparagus are endless. I tend to head in the direction of eggs. Fabulous with poached eggs and hollandaise for breakfast or, for my ultimate post-service snack, asparagus soldiers with a perfect soft-boiled egg and thick-cut slices of buttered sourdough toast. A gribiche sauce of diced hard-boiled eggs, herbs and mustard is also an excellent accompaniment.

They are wonderful too as the star of a risotto, in pasta dishes and soups. For a vegetable with such presence on the plate and in the garden, I’ve chosen a flavour-packed anchovy mayonnaise to go along with it. It’s something the asparagus can more than stand up to. I’ve used my go-to Cantabrian anchovies from the well-managed fishery in the Bay of Biscay to make this sauce.

If you’re an anchovy aficionado like me, add an extra couple of slivers to garnish and for that extra bang of oceanic umami.

An emulsion-based sauce like this can requires patience more than skill. Once you’ve mastered this technique you can unlock a whole host of sauces. Flavour the base with vinegars instead of citrus, mustard instead of anchovies, add herbs and spices.

Use leftovers in sandwiches; this mayonnaise is also great with a roast chicken, spuds and any roasted green vegetable.

Asparagus with Anchovy Mayonnaise & Fried Bread

recipe by:Aishling Moore

If you’re an anchovy aficionado like me, add an extra couple of slivers to garnish and for that extra bang of oceanic umami.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• For the asparagus

• 2 x bunches of asparagus

• 1 tbsp golden rapeseed oil

• Juice of ½ a lemon

• Sea salt

• For the fried bread

• 2x thick-cut slices of sourdough bread

• 2 tb rapeseed oil

• For the anchovy mayonnaise (Makes 600ml)

• 2 cloves of garlic minced

• 6 anchovies

• 3 egg yolks

• Juice of 2 lemons (zest of 1)

• 500ml rapeseed oil

• Freshly cracked black pepper

•  

Method

1. To make the anchovy mayonnaise: Finely chop the anchovies until a fine paste has formed. Add the minced garlic and combine.

2. Next, add the egg yolks, lemon zest and juice to a very clean mixing bowl. Whisk well.

3. Add the anchovy and minced garlic paste.

4. Using a measuring jug, slowly add the rapeseed oil, drop-by-drop, whisking each time until the mixture is fully combined before adding the next drop.

5. As you slowly add more of the oil, the emulsion will become stronger, and you’ll be able to add more oil.

6. Once all of the oil is added and you have a thick, homogenous sauce, the mayonnaise is now ready to adjust its seasoning.

7. Add more lemon juice and salt if needed. Finish with some freshly cracked black pepper. Refrigerate until serving.

8. For the fried bread: Remove the crusts of the bread and dice into bite-sized cubes.

9. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan on medium heat.

10. Cook the cubes of bread in the rapeseed oil, stirring regularly until golden brown. Remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.

11. For the asparagus: Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus.

12. Bring a medium pot of water to the boil.

13. Season with lots of sea salt and cook the asparagus for 2-2½ minutes until tender and vibrant green in colour.

14. Remove from the pot and drain well.

15. Place on a baking sheet or large plate and drizzle with the golden rapeseed oil and the juice of half a lemon.

16. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with the anchovy mayonnaise and fried bread.

Fish tales

I love making emulsions in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment as you have so much more control and far less chance of splitting the sauce. Alternatively, you can use a handheld electric whisk with a mixing bowl propped onto a tea towel.

You can use a food processor to blend the anchovies into a fine paste.

The anchovy mayonnaise will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Reserve the leftover oil from the anchovy tin to use in pasta sauces and salad dressing.

I’ve used sourdough bread here, but you could use any yeasted bread. Fresh focaccia is also great for this recipe.