If you find yourself in California during April, be sure to add the San Joaquin Valley to your itinerary, where you’ll find the town of Stockton and its annual asparagus festival. There you can get asparagus cooked 70 different ways or, as we say in the South, six ways from Sunday. If I were cooking at the festival, this is what I’d serve: recipe No. 71, Grilled Grouper and Asparagus. So let’s start our own festival. Grab your asparagus costume, fire up your grill and open a bottle of Madfish Bay Chardonnay.
Grilled Grouper and Asparagus with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Grilled Grouper and Asparagus
4 grouper fillets
2 pounds fresh asparagus, woody bases trimmed
1 large carrot in large juliennes
1 large portobello mushroom, 3/4-inch slices
1 large onion, 1/2-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh-cracked black pepper
2 bottles Madfish Bay Chardonnay
Orange Vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
¾ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
8 turns pepper mill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oi
Instructions:
Western Australia’s Madfish Bay Chardonnay is perfect for the mild taste of grouper. It is un-oaked, which brings out the herbaceous odors of the fruit, including sweet-tart apple flavors. Pour glasses all around to get that festival spirit going.
Make the vinaigrette by mixing all ingredients but the oil; then drizzle oil in while whisking briskly. Reserve.
While a large pot of water starts to boil, salt and pepper grouper fillets, coat with 1/2 of the vinaigrette and let sit for 5 minutes. Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes; toss with olive oil, sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper. Grill for 3 minutes. Grill carrot, mushroom and onion slices about 5 minutes. Grill fillets for 3 minutes on each side; the flesh will flake when ready.
Layer vegetables on plates, place hot fillets on top and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Call your guests to the table, refresh their glasses, put on your favorite asparagus music and enjoy a delicious grouper and asparagus salad.