Aioli and friends

Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 10 minutes Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

● 400g asparagus, woody ends snapped off ● 12 quail eggs ● 2 heads of Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated ● sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

● smoked flaky sea salt, to serve

For the aioli

● 2 egg yolks ● 2 tsp Dijon mustard ● 1 large garlic clove, crushed ● juice of ½ lemon ● 350ml (1½ cups) olive oil (not extra virgin)

METHOD

1 First make the aioli. Combine the egg yolks, mustard, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl using a small whisk.

2 Slowly whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until you have a mayonnaise consistency. If the aioli is getting too thick, add 2 tsp warm water before whisking in the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and store in a sealed container in the fridge.

3 Cook the asparagus and quail eggs in a pan of salted boiling water – the eggs will need 2 minutes, and the asparagus will need 2–4 minutes, depending on its thickness. 4 Drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again and pack in separate containers

(no need to shell the eggs).

5 Serve the asparagus, quail eggs and lettuce leaves on a large platter, with the aioli and smoked salt on the side for dipping and sprinkling (peeling the eggs first). From Foolproof Picnic, see credit left