WHITE ASPARAGUS, MORELS, OYSTER & SALMON CAVIAR

"CHEF'S SIGNATURE - ADVANCED RECIPE"

A fine-dining experience created by Chef Ivonne Barillari for experienced home cooks and dinner party hosts.

 

WHITE ASPARAGUS, MORELS, OYSTER & SALMON CAVIAR

There are dishes that are born from technique and others that come to life through intuition. This one is born from the meeting of land and sea, where every element finds its own place in a refined and harmonious balance.                                                                                                                  Asparagus takes centre stage, presented in two textures: retaining its natural crispness while also transforming into delicate ribbons that bring freshness and lightness. Morels add depth and character, while a dashi and oyster water gel accompanies the dish with a subtle marine note.           Black truffle enters the composition with elegance, never overpowering the other ingredients but enhancing their deepest nuances. Its aromatic intensity blends with the velvety, enveloping oyster emulsion, enriched with truffle butter that amplifies its complexity and leaves a lingering finish on the palate.                                                                                                        The emulsion thus becomes the thread that ties the dish together, bringing the vegetal sweetness of the asparagus, the minerality of the sea and the richness of the morels into a balanced and harmonious whole.                                                   Completing the composition, a raw oyster crowned with a delicate shaving of black truffle represents the chef's final gesture: essential, elegant and authentic. Salmon roe adds freshness and delicate bursts of salinity, providing a vibrant finish.                                                                                   Textures, temperatures and flavours exist in perfect balance. The technique remains discreet, leaving room for emotion and transforming the meeting of land and sea into an elegant, intense and memorable gastronomic experience.

 

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

4 white asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched for 3–4 minutes (depending on their size)

8 white asparagus spears, peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler

All the trimmed asparagus scraps (tough stems and peelings)

5 live oysters

12 morel mushrooms

Dashi gel

Oyster emulsion

TRUFFITALY White Spring Truffle Butter

TRUFFITALY Black Truffle Slices

2 tablespoons salmon roe

TRUFFITALY Truffle Salt

 

DASHI GEL

Ingredients

1 g agar-agar powder

85 g liquid, made with the oyster liquor and dashi (using the oyster liquor first, then topping up with dashi to reach 85 g)

40 g sake

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk until well mixed. Bring gently to a boil over medium heat.                                                    Simmer gently for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a shallow tray and allow it to cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator.                                                                               Once fully set, blend at maximum speed until smooth, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve.

Transfer the gel to a piping bag and refrigerate until needed.                                        Do not store for longer than 2 days.

 

OYSTER EMULSION

Ingredients

150 ml white asparagus extract

1 raw oyster

40 g TRUFFITALY White Spring Truffle Butter

 

METHOD

For the white asparagus extract:                                                                                    Use all the tough stems and peelings left over from preparing the asparagus.                                                                                                                     Blend them at high speed with a small amount of water until smooth. Transfer to a suitably sized saucepan and bring gently to a boil.

Strain through a fine sieve.

Add one raw oyster, blend again until completely smooth, then strain once more.

Return the liquid to the pan without allowing it to boil, then emulsify with the TRUFFITALY White Spring Truffle Butter.

 

PLATING

Blanch the asparagus ribbons in boiling water for 1–2 seconds, then pat them dry with paper towel. Arrange them on one side of the plate as shown in the photograph.

Pipe small dots of dashi gel over the asparagus ribbons.

On the opposite side of the plate, place one warm whole asparagus spear and add a few more dots of dashi gel.

Sauté the morel mushrooms in butter, season with TRUFFITALY Truffle Salt and arrange them on top of the whole asparagus.

Spoon the warm oyster emulsion into the centre of the plate and garnish it with the salmon roe.

Place one warm oyster beside the emulsion on each plate and finish with a thin slice of TRUFFITALY black truffle on top.

 

Created by Guest Chef Ivonne Barillari Fine-Dining Culinary Specialist