Wild asparagus is often paired with cheese sauce in the northwestern Italian region of Piedmont, where chef Stefano Secchi of New York City’s Rezdôra often finds inspiration. “When asparagus is coming up, it’s typically still colder at night, and the fonduta is nice and warming,” Secchi says. In this twist on a classic fonduta, Secchi emulsifies the sauce using the salted water from blanching asparagus instead of cream or butter. The heat from the water gently cooks the egg yolks and melts the Parmesan, forming a rich, velvety blanket to coat your vegetables.
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What you’ll need
Large Pot
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Tongs
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Blender
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Silicone Spatula
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling generously salted water until dark green and just crisp-tender, about 30 seconds for pencil-thin stalks and up to 2½ minutes for thicker stalks. Using tongs, immediately transfer asparagus to a large bowl of ice water; let sit 30 seconds. Transfer to a kitchen towel and pat dry; arrange on a platter. Measure 3 Tbsp. cooking liquid from pot and set aside in a small bowl.
Step 2
Blend egg yolks, Parmesan, and oil in a blender on low speed, scraping down sides as needed, until well combined. Increase speed to high and, with motor running, gradually drizzle in reserved hot cooking liquid; blend until smooth and emulsified. Immediately pour fonduta over asparagus.
