Asparagus Salad with Smoky-Sweet Gremolata

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is gremolata?

  Gremolata, also spelled gremolada, is a condiment made with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Some recipes call for anchovy for a boost of flavor, too. All the ingredients are chopped very finely and spread over the final dish at the end of cooking so the aromas take on just enough heat to release their fragrance without losing their freshness. 
  
  

  You’re probably more familiar with gremolata as the preferred condiment for osso buco, that hearty Milanese dish of veal shanks braised in a tomato-based sauce. In this rendition, we’ve kept the parsley, for its herbaceous and refreshing taste, and the lemon zest, to cleanse the palate, while adding refreshing mint, crunchy almonds, and tart cherries for an added touch of freshness and texture.

• What is asparagus?

  Asparagus is a fleshy shoot that has been cultivated since Roman times. Native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, asparagus arrived in the Americas during the 17th and 18th centuries. However, asparagus became more widely available during the 1860s. Today, there are almost 300 types of asparagus with only a handful harvested for their culinary value, including purple asparagus, pencil asparagus, and wild asparagus. White asparagus gets its distinctive color by being grown without sunlight, a process that inhibits the development of chlorophyll. 
  

• What is blanching?

  Blanching, a technique in which vegetables are cooked in boiling water and then shocked in an ice bath, not only maintains the bright green color of the asparagus in this recipe, but it also ensures that it cooks to the perfect crisp-tender texture.