Asparagus Salad with Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette

Asparagus Salad with Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette
Recipe by Dana McCauley

On Titanic's 1st class menu the salad course was served after the roast, not as a side dish. It would have been presented on elongated dishes and served with special asparagus tongs. Very posh, no? I adore this vinaigrette and have made it many times, not just with this asparagus dish but, as a dressing for all sorts of salads. It is one of my favourite recipes from the book. Enjoy!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 sweet red or yellow pepper, finely diced

Directions:
1. Holding asparagus halfway up stalk, snap off woody ends at the natural breaking point and discard.

2. In a wide, deep skillet or large pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are tender but not limp.

3. Drain the asparagus and run under cold water until completely cooled; drain well.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir saffron into 1 teaspoon of boiling water; let stand for 2 minutes or until the threads have softened.

5. Stir in champagne vinegar, mustard and sugar. Whisking, drizzle in olive oil.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add asparagus and diced pepper; toss to coat. Serve in individual dishes.

4 comments:

Jo said...

As I make a point of giving my readers asparagus recipes at this time of year when it is so readily available, I am going to steal this recipe from you. It sounds delicious.

Lara said...

Hi Dragon, very nice blog. I found you on google because i was looking for Titanic menu. Your Titanic Project is very impressive!! Next Friday I'm going to prepare some plates from your blog to celebrate the mitic ship.
Now I'm one of your followers. If you want I?ve got a blog: www.laraandthekitchen.blogspot.com
I'm wating for you, you'll be welcome!
Bye

NAUAuntie said...

This recipe was mentioned on Downton Abbey (after Edith is jilted at the altar). I cannot wait to try it!

Anonymous said...

I wonder when and where this whole asparagus snapping business began. The French simply peel the end of the stalk down to the more tender part, eliminating the “woody” part that exists on the outside of the lowest part of the stalk. It’s less wasteful and perfectly tender, albeit a bit more work for your sous chef. Honestly, even the lower part of the stalk after it’s snapped is still too “woody” for my taste, so peeling is definitely worth the effort.

 
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