Equipment
Ingredients
Lovage Mayonnaise
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 10 ml white wine vinegar
- 15 g lovage leaves, washed
- 150 ml grapeseed oil
- 2 g fine sea salt
Trout and Asparagus
- 2 trout fillets, skin-on, pin bones removed
- 200 g asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
- 30 g sprouted almonds, roughly chopped
- 30 ml olive oil
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- flaky sea salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1194 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 112 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1283 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 24 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 206 mg
- Potassium
- 1018 mg
- Calcium
- 169 mg
- Iron
- 6.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 96 mg
- Phosphorus
- 538 mg
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 217 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin D
- 6.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 8.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 53 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 11.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.73 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.87 mg
- Niacin
- 8.3 mg
- Folate
- 95 mcg
- Water
- 241 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the lovage leaves for 15 seconds, then immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to preserve their bright green color.
Drain the chilled lovage leaves and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Roughly chop the leaves.
In a tall cylindrical container, combine the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, chopped lovage, and fine sea salt.
Using an immersion blender, process the mixture until combined, then slowly stream in the grapeseed oil while continuously blending until a thick, vibrant emerald-green mayonnaise forms.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the trimmed asparagus spears with half of the olive oil, flaky sea salt, and black pepper.
Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Thoroughly pat the trout fillets dry with paper towels. Lightly score the skin in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the flesh, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the trout fillets skin-side down, pressing firmly with a fish spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent the skin from curling.
Add the butter to the pan. Carefully flip the trout fillets and baste them continuously with the foaming butter for 1 minute until the internal temperature reaches 63 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove from heat immediately.
In a separate dry pan, toast the sprouted almonds over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant and golden.
Arrange the grilled asparagus on plates, place the crispy trout alongside, and scatter the toasted sprouted almonds over the top. Serve immediately with a generous dollop of lovage mayonnaise and lemon wedges.
Chef's Notes
- Blanching the lovage before blending achieves two things: it locks in a vibrant emerald hue and slightly mellows the intensely sharp, celery-like flavor.
- Pressing the trout flat against the pan for the first 30 seconds of cooking is crucial; fish skin naturally contracts when it hits high heat, which causes curling and uneven cooking.
- Sprouted almonds are preferred here as the sprouting process breaks down phytic acid, making them easier to digest and yielding a remarkably cleaner crunch.
- For the emulsion, ensure your egg yolk is at room temperature. Cold ingredients are more prone to breaking when combining with oil.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Mayonnaise keeps for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Cooked fish and asparagus are best eaten immediately.
Troubleshooting
Mayonnaise is thin and broken instead of thick and creamy
Cause: The oil was added too quickly before the emulsion could stabilize
Fix: Whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl, then slowly stream in the broken mayonnaise while whisking vigorously
Prevention: Stream the oil very slowly, drop by drop at the beginning, while blending constantly
Trout skin is soggy and sticks to the pan
Cause: The skin was too wet or the pan was not hot enough before adding the fish
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but the skin can be peeled away and the fish served without it
Prevention: Pat the skin thoroughly dry with paper towels and ensure the oil is shimmering hot before searing
Cultural Context
Lovage is a traditional European perennial herb that has somewhat fallen out of modern favor, despite its deeply savory flavor profile that bridges the gap between celery and flat-leaf parsley. Pairing it with sweet river fish like trout nods to classic British and French countryside preparations, where wild herbs were gathered to complement the daily catch.
