Asparagus with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese
By Sally James. I first created this dish to make asparagus more wine-friendly with the addition of cheese and nuts now it’s become a staple reflecting southern French origins. If you can find some hazelnut oil, it’s worth the splurge as just a touch really brings the dish to life!
INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup hazelnuts
- 2 tsp thyme, fresh
- 1 ½ lb asparagus, fresh
- 4 tsp hazelnut, walnut or olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice and grated zest
- kosher salt, to taste
- white pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup goat cheese, soft
DIRECTIONS
- Place the hazelnuts on an oven tray and scatter with half the thyme. Bake in a moderate oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden and aromatic. Transfer to a clean dish towel, rub off the skins and remove, then chop roughly.
- Snap the stalky bases off the asparagus spears and blanch in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water until cold, then dry on paper towels. If preferred, you can also grill the asparagus and serve as a hot salad.
- Whisk the oil and lemon juice together and season to taste. Place the asparagus in a bowl and toss with the dressing to coat.
- To serve, arrange asparagus on plates or platter and crumble over the goat cheese, extra thyme and lemon zest. Scatter with the hazelnuts.