Asparagus Cornet with Lemon Dressing
Submitted by larke4
Asparagus cornet with lemon dressing wraps puff pastry into golden cones, fills them with crisp-tender asparagus spears, and serves over a homemade lemon-mustard mayonnaise. Restaurant-grade plated appetizer for special occasions.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
20 minREADY
80 minAsparagus cornet with lemon dressing is the kind of plated New York fine-dining appetizer that turns dinner into theater. Strips of puff pastry wrap around metal cone forms and bake into shatteringly crisp golden cornucopias, then asparagus spears tuck into both ends with the tender tips fanning outward like a delicate green bouquet.
The homemade lemon-mustard dressing is essentially a mayonnaise built around fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. The trick to a stable emulsion is patience. Add the oil drop by drop at first, building viscosity, then thin stream once it thickens. Add oil too fast and the dressing breaks back into a greasy puddle.
The metal cone forms are the specialty piece you need. Pastry shops sell them, or you can fashion them from heavy-duty foil rolled around your hand into a cone shape. They have to be smooth and even or the pastry won’t release after baking.
The one-hour chill of the rolled pastry before baking is non-negotiable. Cold dough holds its shape during baking; warm dough collapses and the cornet shape disappears.
Pro Tips
- Use thin asparagus (pencil-width) for the most elegant presentation. Thick spears overwhelm the delicate pastry shells.
- Tie the asparagus in small bundles before boiling so the spears cook evenly and stay aligned. The string comes off easily after.
- Cook asparagus to crisp-tender (about 3 minutes for thin spears). Overdone asparagus collapses and looks sad in the cornet.
- Build the cornets just before serving. Pastry softens within 30 minutes of contact with the dressing.
- Use white pepper, not black, in the dressing. Black flecks against the pale yellow lemon dressing look like dirt; white blends invisibly.
Variations
- Substitute thin slices of smoked salmon for asparagus for a different luxurious presentation.
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon to the lemon dressing for an herbal lift.
- Serve a few microgreens or a thin slice of pickled radish on the dressing pool alongside the cornet for visual interest.
Ingredients
Directions
For the pastry cornets
Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to 3” x 20” rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Cut the rectangle into 4 long strips, each ¾ inch wide.
Wrap each strip around a long metal cone (which can be made from heavy-duty aluminum foil), beginning at the tip and rolling the strip around and around, overlapping slightly. Place these on an ungreased baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Bake pastry cornets until golden, about 15 minutes.
Cool briefly, then very carefully the metal or foil cones.
For the lemon dressing
Combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil a drop at a time. When the dressing begins to thicken, add the oil 1 teaspoon at a time, then continue adding oil in a thin stream.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Cook the asparagus, tied in bundles, in boiling salted water until it’s just crisp-tender; drain.
Construction
Pour a small amount of dressing on each serving plate.
Place a cornet on top of the dressing and tuck the asparagus into the ends of the cornet, fanning the tips outward.
Comments
This is an exact copy of a recipe from Michael Fitoussi in the book "New York's Master Chefs". Is that legal?