RECIPE BY: Alla Wolf-Tasker, Lake House Daylesford
Asparagus, broad beans and globe artichokes form a trinity of special vegetables that come together in spring. Pre-cooked and refreshed they simply need a bit of love in butter to make a delicious warm spring salad. If you like, add the crunch of a tempura-battered baby zucchini and its blossom. The tarragon aioli glistens as it slides off the warm vegetables. We serve this salad with asparagus velouté topped with Parmesan foam.
Ingredients (Spring Salad):
100g butter
3 shallots, diced
6 artichokes, cooked and quartered
250g broad beans, cooked and peeled
12 asparagus spears, peeled and cooked until tender
slat and freshly ground pepper
50g baby spinach leaves, stemmed
Preparation (Spring Salad):
- Melt the butter in a pan and cook the shallots until soft but not coloured. Add the artichokes, broad beans and asparagus and toss on high heat or lift and turn them gently on moderate heat until the vegetables are warmed through. Season well. Add the spinach leaves and toss them through until glossy with butter and wilted. Adjust the seasoning.
Ingredients (Tarragon Aioli):
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
25ml white wine vinegar
350ml oil
25ml lukewarm water
Additional oil if required
Preparation (Tarragon Aioli):
- Combine the garlic and salt and using the face of a knife rub them until they are well minced. In a food processor combine the minced garlic mix, egg yolks and vinegar. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil – commencing slowly – in a steady stream. Continue until all the oil is used up and the mixture is quite thick. Adjust seasoning to taste. The mixture can absorb more oil and this may be necessary if you find the strength of the garlic too overpowering for the end use of the aioli. In this case, with the motor running, add a little tepid water. The sauce will thin down and lighten. Continue to drizzle in additional as required.
To Serve:
Place a mixture of the warm vegetables, topped with tarragon aioli, on individual plates and serve.
About the author
Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, Lake House
Alla Wolf-Tasker AM’s story is the stuff of legend. With over 30 years in the region, she has transformed a downtrodden country plot of land into a thriving culinary restaurant, and consequently a food-producing community. Lake House is recognised around the world as one of this country’s great restaurants, and it continues to win numerous accolades within Australia and overseas.
