Grilled Asparagus Salad
I have one of those cast-iron griddle pans that you can put on top of your stove. I never used it very much until a few years ago when I started to conquer my apprehension about grilling in general. I also had an aversion to schlepping and cleaning my underused barbecue that lived outside under a tree, so I thought I’d give this griddle thing a try. Why did I not do this before? It’s fantastic and so easy to use! Asparagus cooked this way somehow tastes even better. The little charred bits on the stalks are earthy tasting, yet the stalks retain their herbaceous qualities. This is now one of my favorite ways to prepare asparagus.
If you have mastered your barbecue, you can, of course, grill them over hot coals too, but put them in a vegetable grill basket or pan; otherwise, they have the annoying habit of falling through the grill and getting overly singed.
Grilled Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound green asparagus, tips left whole; stems cut into 11⁄2-inch pieces
- 1 pound white asparagus, tips left whole; stems cut into 11⁄2-inch pieces
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 20-30 small Thai basil leaves
- 2 burrata, cut into eighths
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the asparagus in a shallow dish. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and 8–10 grinds of black pepper. Shake the dish back and forth a few times to make sure the asparagus spears are coated.
- Place a cast-iron griddle on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, lay the asparagus stalks on the griddle and cook for 1½ minutes. Turn once and cook for another minute. The vegetables should still be bright green and al dente. Carefully remove the cooked asparagus and place them on a serving platter, arranged with tips pointing outwards like a giant flower. Dot the salad with basil leaves and burrata.
- In a small bowl, whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients to form an emulsion. Pour over the warm asparagus and serve.
Nutrition
Pascale Beale
Chef, teacher and food writer, Pascale Beale, owner of Pascale’s Kitchen, grew up in an eccentric European family who cherish food, wine and the arts. She is the author of 10 Mediterranean-style cookbooks, including the best sellers Salade and Salade II. Her food memoir, 9’ x 12’: Adventures in a Small Kitchen, a multi-media book, is hosted on Substack. Her latest cookbook is Flavour: Savouring the Seasons.
