Charred Asparagus with Preserved Lemon Dressing
The flavour of asparagus completely changes when it’s charred. It develops a lovely smokiness and the charred bits add so much depth of flavour. Delicious as it is, the star of the show might just be the punchy preserved lemon dressing. Preserved lemons are savoury, salty and bright and they add a lovely tang to the dish. The roasted vegetable orzo was meant to be a supporting character, but as it ties everything together so nicely, I’ve included the recipe for it, too.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 hungry people 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the dressing:
- 75ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp pul biber (aka aleppo pepper, see Notes for substitutes)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 preserved lemons, peel only, very finely chopped (you can save the flesh for marinades)
- 3 tbsp preserved lemon brine
- 1 tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
- ¼ echalion shallot, very finely chopped
For the roasted vegetable orzo:
- 4 bell peppers, sliced
- 2 onions, sliced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or glaze
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs or za’atar
- 400g dried orzo
- 20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the asparagus:
- 400g asparagus, woody ends removed
- extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the extra-virgin olive oil, pul biber and cumin seeds in a small saucepan set over a medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Once the cumin seeds begin to sizzle, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the preserved lemon peel and brine, white wine vinegar, agave nectar and shallot. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix well to combine. Note: this recipe makes more dressing than you’ll need. Leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Heat your oven to 220°C / fan 200°C. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Add the bell peppers and onions and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add the dried herbs, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Roast, tossing once halfway through, until cooked and beginning to brown, around 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables are in the oven, cook the orzo in generously salted water according to the package instructions, then drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the roasted vegetables and fresh parsley, as well as a couple of tablespoons of the preserved lemon dressing (or more, to taste), then toss well to combine.
- Finally, onto the asparagus. Fill a large mixing bowl with lots of ice and cold water.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season very generously with salt (it should be sea-level salty). Blanch the asparagus then transfer it to the ice bath – this will both stop the cooking process, ensuring it doesn’t get soggy, and help retain its vibrant green colour.
- Transfer to a baking tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat, then spread in an even layer. If you have a blowtorch, char the asparagus by hand. If not, heat your grill to high and grill for 7 to 10 minutes, flipping once half way through, or until tender and charred in places.
- To serve, plate up the orzo and top with the asparagus. Finish with a good drizzle of the dressing over the asparagus, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Notes: If you don’t have pul biber, you can substitute it for half the amount of chilli flakes plus a pinch of smoked paprika.