Recipe: Asparagus Baked in Parchment with Caper Mayonnaise
- Parchment paper and kitchen string
- 24 thick asparagus spears
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 long sprig tarragon
- 12 salted capers or 2 teaspoons capers packed in vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half or cream
- Fresh ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Spread a 2-foot-long sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
2. Snap the ends from the asparagus and soak asparagus in cold water 5 minutes. Rinse well and pat with paper towels. Arrange the spears in a neat, single layer on the parchment, and drizzle olive oil over them. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Top with tarragon sprig. Fold paper over spears and tuck ends under to form a light package. Secure with kitchen string.
3. Bake asparagus 1½ to 2 hours, or until the spears feel tender when pressed through the parchment.
4. Meanwhile, soak salted capers in water about an hour. Drain and pat dry; chop coarsely. (If using capers in vinegar, drain, rinse and pat with a paper towel.) In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise, cream, capers and some pepper.
5. When asparagus is cooked, carefully cut parchment open and transfer asparagus to a platter. Whisk some of cooking juices into sauce, pour over asparagus and serve warm.
From "The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook" by Paula Wolfert.