Recipe - Asparagus En Fete

1 One half pound Asparagus spears; peeled and
trimmed
1 cup Water; hot tap
24 Black olives; oil curred
2 tablespoon Capers; drained
1 cup Tomatoes; seeded and chopped
One fourth cup Fresh flatleaf parsley
leaves; lightly packed

LEMON MUSTARD SAUCE
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
One half teaspoon Salt
One fourth teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoon Lemon juice
4 tablespoon Virgin olive oil

1.Place the asparagus in no more than two layers in the bottom of a sauce
pan, preferably stainless steel. Add hot tape water, and bring it to a boil
over high heat. Cover the pan, and continue to boil the asparagus over high
heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until it is tender but still firm. Most of the
water will have evaporated.

2.Remove the asparagus from the pan, and spread it out on a platter to
speed cooling. When it is cool enough to handle, measure down 5 inches from
the tip of each spear, and cut off and reserve the remainder of the stem
ends. Then, starting at the bottom of the spears, split the stems in half
lengthwise, stopping when you get to the tips and leaving the heads intact.
Cut the reserved stem ends into 1inch pieces.

3.For the sauce, combine the Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and
olive oil in a small bowl.

4.At a serving time, mix the 1inch pieces of asparagus with the olives,
capers, and tomato in a bowl. Arrange four asparagus spears on each plate
so the tips extend to the edge of the plate and the stalks, spread open
where they are cut, connect to create a "frame" around an open area in the
center. Arrange some of the tomatoolive mixture in the center of each
plate, and spoon some sauce over both the spears and the mixture. Sprinkle
with the parsley leaves, and serve.

Copyright credit: Copyright: 1995 by Jacques Pepin © 1996 Lifetime
Entertainment Services. All rights reserved.

Recipe by: Bobby Flay, The Main Ingredient

Posted to MCRecipe Digest by Barb at PK abprice@wf.net on Apr 30, 1998