This salad contains two of my favorite ingredients—white asparagus and wild mushrooms. If the wild mushrooms happen to be chanterelles, even better. Honestly, there are few things that are more mouth-watering than the aroma of sizzling butter in a pan with sliced mushrooms cooking in it. Sometimes I’ll cook a few mushrooms to add to a green salad or on some toast with a piece of goat cheese. I love their earthy flavors. White asparagus have an herbaceous quality to them. They balance the rustic qualities of the mushrooms in this salad. It’s a dish I look forward to every spring as we emerge from winter.
Serves 8 people
2 lbs. white asparagus — carefully peeled, tips cut off, and stems cut on a bias in 1-inch pieces
2 shallots — peeled and finely sliced
1 ½ lbs. assorted wild mushrooms — cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 bunch chives — finely chopped
Salt and pepper