Sometimes food should just be easy, simple, and uncomplicated. That’s why I love to grill indoors. Grilling adds a wonderful smokey flavor to foods and it cooks them quickly. All you need are quality vegetables and meats, lemon juice, olive oil, flakey salt and pepper and you can have a taste of summer no matter the weather outside.

Look for lemon-flavored flakey sea salt.  Some stores carry it. Flakey, versus granulized salt, makes a difference.

Indoor griddle/grills are available almost anywhere, even at Target. Just be sure to buy a heavy duty one with thin grill lines versus the ‘speed bump’ style. Cast iron is preferable. Avoid nonstick versions.

Lemony Grilled Avocado and Asparagus

An original TPP Recipe – All rights reserved.
Two small servings

Special Equipment: stove top griddle pan; pastry brush

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch pencil asparagus, bottom inch trimmed away
1 avocado, halved with skin on
olive oil
juice of one lemon
flakey sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
large pinch of flakey sea salt
freshly ground tellicherry peppercorns

METHOD
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper. Blend well. Set aside.

Preheat a stove top griddle. Meanwhile, prepare the avocado. Keep the avocado skin on. Score the meat of each avocado half with parallel cuts ¼” apart both vertically and horizontally. Drizzle the cut surface with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Flex the skin enough for the marinade to seep into the cuts. Set aside

Coat the asparagus in olive oil. Sprinkle with generous amount of sea salt and pepper. (Choosing a great flakey sea salt will ensure success)

Place the avocado halves flesh side down on one half of the hot griddle. Don’t be tempted to move them. Allow them to brown. They will lift off the griddle easily once a crust has formed. Place the asparagus on the other half. Toss the asparagus with tongues as they start to blacken. They should wilt within a few minutes.

Brush some of the lemon vinaigrette over the cut halves of the avocado. Transfer asparagus to a bowl and drizzle with the remaining lemon vinaigrette. Toss to coat.

You can use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the skin or simply serve it as is.

Chef’s tip: Don’t put the minced garlic on the vegetables when they are on the grill. The high heat of the grill will most likely burn the garlic before the veggies are done causing the garlic to turn bitter. Grill the vegetables first, then add the minced garlic.

THE PATRICIAN PALETTE | MARK WOOLCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY