Spring means asparagus. Every year, I start enjoying it when the
California crop begins to hit the stores in March. It is always good, but when the local crop
starts to come in I am always reminded of why I like to eat not just seasonally,
but locally whenever I can. The flavor
and texture of the local crop can’t be matched.
I bring home bunches and bunches of it from the farmers’ market…stopping
only when the crop does…usually sometime in early June.
One of my favorite things to eat with asparagus is
ham. Its salty, fatty—sometimes
smoky—taste compliments the herbaceous and mineral-y asparagus perfectly. We enjoy it on pizza, in pasta, with eggs (in
a frittata/tortilla or quiche)…and in salads and sides. It is a wonderfully versatile combo.
Historically, this duo is a natural, seasonal pairing
as well. Hogs would have been butchered
in the fall…and hams hung to cure. They
would have been ready to eat in the spring.
I can only imagine how delicious those first slices of the new ham would
have tasted when eaten with the first few asparagus spears of the season.
The simple, streamlined dish I’m sharing today is a
great way to enjoy this springtime combination.
You can enjoy it as a side dish…or
add a little arugula (also in season right now) and you have a salad. If you don’t want to take the time to make
the lemon-shallot vinaigrette, you can simply dress everything with a squeeze
of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Either
way, this is springtime eating at its best.
Asparagus with Ham & Pine Nuts
1 to 1 1/2 lb. medium to large spears of asparagus,
trimmed
1 T. olive oil
1/3 lb./150 g. diced (1/3-inch) ham
1/3 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 T. minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 to 3 T. lemon-shallot
vinaigrette
2 to 3 oz. arugula, trimmed, washed and spun dry
(optional)
Salt & Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Leave the asparagus spears whole or cut into 2-inch
lengths on a short diagonal—as you prefer.
Bring a pan of well-salted water to the boil. Drop in the asparagus and cook until just
tender—about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and
spread on towels. (If you are cooking
the asparagus ahead, rinse under cool running water before spreading on towels
to dry.) Reserve the pan.
Warm the olive oil in a small sauté pan set over
moderate to moderately high heat. When
the oil is hot, add the ham. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until the ham is sizzling, hot through, and golden brown
in spots—about 2 minutes. Remove from
the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley.
If the asparagus spears were left whole, return them
to the pan they were cooked in and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette, gently rolling the
spears around to coat them. If you would
like the asparagus to be warm, do this while the pan is over a medium
flame. Season with salt & pepper. Place the spears of asparagus on a platter or
individual plates. Spoon the ham and
pine nut mixture over the asparagus. If
you like, you may arrange the asparagus and ham on a bed of arugula that has
been seasoned with salt & pepper and dressed with the lemon-shallot
vinaigrette.
If the asparagus spears were cut into short
lengths, place the asparagus in a bowl with the arugula and the ham and pine
nut mixture (let the mixture cool slightly or it will wilt the arugula). Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with
the vinaigrette. Toss until all the
components are coated with a light film of the vinaigrette and the ingredients
are evenly distributed. Pile on a
platter or individual plates and serve.
Serves 4 to 6.
Lemon-Shallot
Vinaigrette: Place a tablespoon
of finely diced shallot in a small bowl with 3 T. lemon juice and 1/2 t.
salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in 5 T. olive oil. Taste for balance and seasoning. (Vinaigrette from Sunday Suppers at Lucques—Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table, by
Suzanne Goin)
Notes:
- If the asparagus is very fat, take the time to peel the lower 2/3 of each stalk.
- Any ham of good quality may be used. I like Niman Ranch’s Apple wood Smoked Ham. Black forest ham would be good too. This recipe also makes an excellent use for the “heel” of a prosciutto.
- You may make the vinaigrette, or simply dress everything with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil.
Printable Version
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| Variation using julienne Prosciutto and shaved Parmesan |
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