Today’s cooking adventure: asparagus with gribiche sauce!

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This is a french dish that we made back during our Mark Bittman French feast. We wanted a to pick a side dish involving a veggie that was relatively easy to throw together (remember, we were cooking multiple dishes and the star of the show was our coq au vin). I came across this sauce gribiche recipe and knew we had to give it a try.

The sweetness of the pickles balances the intensity of the mustard nicely, and would work with lots of different veggies.Plus in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re doing asparagus with its rumored aphrodisiac effects.

So if you’re putting together a nice dinner for your love this Valentine’s Day, here’s a tasty and easy vegetable to impress your date!

This is crazy easy. Steam your asparagus. Meanwhile, blend olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, and a bit of salt and pepper. (*This step on its own makes a good salad dressing, by the way!)

Dice the gherkins, eggs, and shallot/onion.

Add those, along with lemon juice and shallot/onion to the blender. Pulse a couple times until just combined.

Drizzle the gribiche across the asparagus for a Martha Stewart-worthy presentation, or serve on plates with gribiche sauce sitting nearby for serving table side!

Asparagus with Gribiche Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped gherkins
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 5 tbsps wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 large shallot or 1/4 – 1/2 large onion
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 boiled egg
• 2 tbsp parsley or chives

Steps:

1. Steam the asparagus in your preferred method. I wrap them in wet paper towels and microwave for 2-5 minutes, depending on their thickness.
2. In a blender, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and a bit of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors to suit you.
3. Add the shallot, lemon juice, egg, and gherkins to the blender and pulse a couple times until just combined.
4. Serve with the sauce poured over the asparagus as liberally as you like. Sprinkle parsley on top.

The sauce can serve double duty as salad dressing as well or on green beans. Store it in the fridge but pull out 20-30 minutes before you want to use and give it a good shake before pouring!

Got any dishes you like to impress your date with? Share the recipe!