Day 14 : Grilled Asparagus & Green Goddess Sauce

Day 14 : Grilled Asparagus & Green Goddess Sauce

Today was a day I was not looking forward to.Fucking green vegetables.They’ve always been shite, boiled to death, squeaky, flavourless, the sort of thing your mum made you choke down before pudding.

But I promised myself I’d keep an open mind.And holy fucking hell… my mind was blown.

If you’d told me a few weeks ago that one of my biggest “holy-shit” moments would involve asparagus, I’d have laughed, and called you fucking daft.But here we are.

Because, when you blanch asparagus properly, it’s not just good, it’s life changing.

The Line-Up

Grilled Romaine with Green Goddess Dressing. Blanched and Sautéed Asparagus with Beurre Blanc

Two dishes that sounded like punishment for people who hate joy, and turned out to be two of the best things I’ve eaten in weeks.

Two dishes. Zero meat. 100% joy.

Prep Work

Started the day by trimming the asparagus.

Chef showed us a neat wee trick, snap one spear where it naturally breaks, then use that as your template. Every one’s perfect after that. No fucking about in this kitchen, snapping each one individually.

Halved and quartered the romaine, picked off the tired leaves, diced an onion for the beurre blanc, and got the water roaring for blanching.

Asparagus: The Glow-Up

It started with blanching.Boiling, heavily-salted water. Drop the asparagus in for exactly one minute.

That’s it.

One minute to change everything I thought I knew about veg.

Here’s the science bit:

The boiling water shocks the chlorophyll alive, locking in that wild, electric green.
The heat disables the enzymes that normally turn it grey and floppy.
The cell walls relax just enough to go tender without turning to mush.

Then straight into an ice bath, is like the kitchen version of APD shouting “FREEZE” it stops the cooking cold.The result? Snappy, sweet, vibrant asparagus that actually tastes fresh. Like the difference between instant coffee and a barista-made flat white.

I took one bite and muttered, “Well, fuck me… that’s incredible, thats what Asparagus is supposed to taste like?!?.”

Fire + Butter = Glory

But we weren’t done.We took that perfect asparagus and threw it into a ripping-hot pan.Oil shimmering, butter hissing, flames licking up the sides.The char added smoke, the butter added nuttiness, and suddenly the asparagus tasted meaty.A vegetable… tasting meaty.

What a time to be alive.

Then came the beurre blanc — a glossy, buttery white-wine sauce built slow and low until it turns silky and luxurious. Spoon that over the fired-up asparagus and you’ve got layers of flavour that just keep climbing.

Sweet + smoky + buttery + bright = utter perfection.

And Then… Lettuce

I’ll be honest, I rolled my eyes when Chef said “Now we grill the romaine.”Lettuce. On a grill.Sounds like nonsense.

But good grief.The edges went smoky and crisp, the middle stayed cool and juicy, and then we drizzled on that Green Goddess dressing, creamy, herby, lemony, a whisper of anchovy that ties it all together.

It wasn’t rabbit foot. It was proper food, rich, savoury, and deeply satisfying.I’d eat it again tomorrow. Maybe even crave it.

Chef’s Verdict

“Nicely seasoned. Al dente but tender. Great char. Good drizzle. You worked for it.”

I’ll take that.

The Revelation

Sometimes it’s not the big recipes that stick with you. It's the moment you taste something simple done right and it blows your mind.Blanched asparagus. Charred romaine. Green Goddess drizzle.Nothing fancy, just respect for the ingredients and a wee bit of fire.

I’ll be honest, today might have been the first time I felt like a real chef. The day I actually tasted how something is supposed to taste.

My mind is blow and my eyes are open.

Cheers

Andy

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