Grilled Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche

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 side step 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 grilled 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.

In this recipe we are celebrating the simple moment in time where spring asparagus and sauce grichine have the opportunity to collide.  

Grilled Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche

Yield: 4-6 servings

Time: 30 minutes

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

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: Get the coals of your grill nice and hot. Trim the woody end off the asparagus. Wash and dry them gently. Lay the asparagus on the sheet tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus perpendicular to the grill grates so they don't fall through. Cook just until they are tender, around five minutes. To serve, spread the gribiche on a plate. Top with grilled asparagus.