INGREDIENTS
1 lb. white asparagus, peeled*
Olive oil for tossing
Coarse sea salt to taste
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
3 Tbsp. argan oil**
Freshly cracked black pepper
A few chunks of cave-aged Gruyère***
PREPARATION
• Using a sharp vegetable peeler, create ribbons of asparagus. Keep them in cold water until you’re done peeling.
• Toss the drained asparagus in a glass bowl with just a little bit of olive oil and salt.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave (yes, yes, microwave) for about 30 seconds. Let the asparagus sit for a minute or two.
• Dress the asparagus with the lemon juice, zest and argan oil. Wrap it around a fork.
• Season with more salt and pepper and top each with a bit of Gruyère. This dish can also be served as a salad.
*You may also use green asparagus, or a combination of the two.
**Argan oil, a specialty oil produced in Morocco, has an incredibly smoky, nutty and robust flavor. It is hard to come by, so you may use high-quality olive oil instead, or any nut oil (such as almond or walnut), or even clarified butter.
***Use the real thing. It has such a complex, nutty and sweet flavor that imitations simply lack.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2009.