Grilled Asparagus and Peaches with Caramelized Shallots and Hazelnuts

Yahoo Health
image

(Photo: Quentin Bacon)

I love adding fruit and nuts to vegetable dishes. In this recipe, grilling adds a smoky undercurrent that unifies the tastes and textures.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots

  • ¼ cup toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped hazelnuts (see Note)

  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 pounds thin asparagus, woody stems snapped off and discarded

  • 1 large firm-ripe freestone peach, cut into 12 wedges

Directions:

  1. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium (400°F) heat.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the hazelnuts. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

  3. Place the asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with a tablespoon or two of oil, and roll them in the oil to coat them. Lightly brush the peach wedges with oil to coat them.

  4. Place the asparagus on one side of the grill, perpendicular to the grill grid. Place the peaches, also running perpendicular to the grid, on the grill. Cover the grill and cook, occasionally rolling the asparagus to turn them and flipping the peaches once, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the peaches have sear marks, about 6 minutes. Remove the asparagus and peaches from the grill. Season them to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter. Top with the peaches, followed by the hazelnut mixture, and serve.

Note: Toasted and skinned hazelnuts are sometimes available at specialty markets. (Don’t confuse these with the ones that are skinned, but not toasted, which can be detected by their very pale color.) If the hazelnuts still have their dark brown skins, you’ll have to toast and skin them at home in a conventional oven or, if you find it more efficient for a small amount, a countertop toaster oven.

Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet (or the toaster oven tray). Bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until the skins are curling and the nut flesh is lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the hazelnuts cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes. Wrap the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel, and use the towel to rub the nuts against one another to remove the skins. Don’t worry about getting every last bit of the skins off.

Reprinted from THE OZ FAMILY KITCHEN Copyright © 2015 by Lisa Oz. Published by Harmony Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

image

Read This Next: What’s for Dinner Tonight: Grain-Free Salmon Cakes