Bc Asparagus And Smoked Salmon Salad With Chive Vinaigrette Recipes

B.C. ASPARAGUS AND SMOKED SALMON SALAD WITH CHIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Partially fill a large frying pan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Fill a bowl with ice water.
• In a small bowl, whisk vinegar with Dijon and salt. Whisk in oil. Add chives. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus.
• Slip asparagus into boiling water. Cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Plunge into ice water. When cool, drain. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Place greens on salad plates. Top with a few asparagus spears. Loosely fold salmon over spears. Drizzle dressing over the top.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH LEMON-CHIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium. Toss the asparagus with enough oil to coat and sprinkle with a little salt. Put the asparagus on the grill and cook, rolling frequently to avoid burning, until brown and crisp-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness; remove. Arrange mixed greens on chilled plates or a large serving platter.
• To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together the lemon juice, zest, chives, garlic, sugar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil in a slow, steady stream.
• When ready to assemble the salad, toss the asparagus with enough vinaigrette to coat. Arrange on top of the mixed greens. Sprinkle with the shredded Parmesan and the snipped chives. Pass any additional vinaigrette alongside.

ASPARAGUS FLAN WITH SMOKED SALMON-POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Blanch only the asparagus tips in a small saucepan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, drain, and shock in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside. Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots. Sauté for 2 minutes, until softened, then add the chopped asparagus stalks, cream, and milk and simmer gently over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the asparagus pieces are quite tender. Remove them from the heat and cool about 10 minutes, then pour the mixture into a blender (in batches if necessary) and puree until smooth. Strain the asparagus cream through a fine sieve.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and whole egg together until well mixed and just barely frothy. Slowly whisk in the asparagus cream and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Butter 4 individual ramekins (with sides about 2 inches high) and place them in a baking dish. Pour the asparagus mixture into the dishes, dividing equally. Carefully fill the baking dish with hot water until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the water bath for about 30 minutes. Watching for steam, carefully open the foil and jiggle the pan to see if the flans are set. They should be firm around the outside but just barely set in the middle, with no bubbles. If they are still liquid in the middle, return to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Remove the flans from the oven, uncover, and set aside until ready to serve. These flans can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerated, and gently reheated in a water bath.
• Put the potatoes in a small pot, cover with cold water, add a sprinkling of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Whisk the shallots, vinegar, and olive oil together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, celery, onion, croutons, and salmon. Stir in half the dressing, season with salt and pepper, toss, and add more dressing to desired taste. Add the bacon and toss again. To serve, divide the salad among four plates. Place one warm flan on each plate. Place two asparagus tips on top of each flan and add the rest to the salad.
• This recipe will result in a pale green flan. To brighten the color, you can add 1/4 cup blanched, finely chopped spinach or 2 tablespoons fresh parsley to the cream the minute before you remove it from the heat. Proceed to blend the mixture as described above, and the result will be a delightful emerald green flan.

TUNA, ASPARAGUS, NEW POTATO SALAD/CHIVE VINAIGRETTE/FRIED CAPERS

Steps:

• VINAIGRETTE:.
• Puree first 5 ingredients in blender until smooth.
• With machine running, gradually add vegetable oil, then olive oil.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.* Can be made 1 day ahead;.c over and chill.
• SALAD:.
• Cook asparagus in large skillet of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus to 13x9x2-inch pan of ice water to cool.
• Drain asparagus and pat dry.** Can be made 8 hours ahead;. wrap in paper towels, then plastic, and chill.
• Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch, and sprinkle with salt.
• Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. drain, let cool 5 minutes.
• Place in medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette; toss to coat.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Drain; let cool 5 minutes. Place in medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add capers and fry until capers are crisp and open like flowers, stirring often, 45 to 60 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer capers to paper towels to drain.
• **** Potatoes and capers can be made 2 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature.
• Place asparagus in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and toss to coat. Toss potatoes again to coat, adding 1 more tablespoon vinaigrette if dry.
• Place greens and radishes in another large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat.
• Spread greens and radishes over large platter. Arrange potatoes, asparagus, eggs, and tuna atop greens.
• Drizzle some vinaigrette over tuna.
• Sprinkle with fried capers and chive blossoms, if desired.