Roasted Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche
By Marianne Sundquist
Yield: 4-6 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Sometimes a component of a dish can’t help but take center stage and sauce gribiche is a perfect example. Imagine an aioli or hollandaise, but instead of raw egg yolks creating the base, hard-boiled (and smashed) egg yolks are the starting point. Then oil is drizzled in, emulsifying with the egg yolk before being mixed with mustard, cornichons, capers, and herbs to create a cold luscious tartar-esque sauce that is classically served with cold meat or roasted vegetables. I take a bit of a sidestep from the classic recipe by using less oil and adding plain Greek yogurt for a tangy, creamy sauce that steals the show whenever it shows up on our table.
I love to serve sauce gribiche with roasted, grilled, or raw vegetables and it’s an easy pairing for roasted potatoes, chicken, or fish. It’s a surprising winner on pretty much any sandwich, burger, or brat and is delightful enough to serve in a bowl on its own for spreading on crusty bread. Parsley is the herb most commonly used but tarragon, chives, or even basil could be used depending on what you have a hankering for.
Here you’ll notice that we are roasting the asparagus in the oven, but they are just as good blanched in salted boiling water for a minute or maybe even better drizzled with a little olive oil and thrown on the grill. In this recipe, we are celebrating the simple moment in time where spring asparagus and sauce gribiche have the opportunity to collide.
Ingredients
for the sauce gribiche:
3 eggs
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. cornichons, roughly chopped
1 T. capers, roughly chopped
¼ c. parsley, roughly chopped (you could also use chives or other fresh herbs)
½ c. Greek yogurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the asparagus:
2 bunches of asparagus
1 medium red onion
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
To start we will make the gribiche: Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by two inches. Bring water to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to cool. Remove eggs from the water and gently peel. Slice eggs in half, transfer the yolks to a bowl, and chop the egg whites, reserving those for later. Add dijon and lemon juice to the bowl with the yolks and stir with a whisk. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking continuously. Fold in the cornichons, parsley, reserved egg whites, greek yogurt, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Right before serving prepare the asparagus: Preheat oven to 400 F. and line a sheet tray with parchment or foil. Trim the woody end off the asparagus. Wash and dry them gently. Lay the asparagus on the sheet tray. Slice the onion and lay around the asparagus trying to let everything lay in a single layer, not piled on top of each other. This will encourage browning as opposed to steaming in the oven. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until just tender.
To serve: Spread the gribiche on a plate. Top with roasted asparagus and onions.
