hangryfeminist:

Oh look, another chance for me to rave about something my mom cooks! Grilled asparagus is one of my her favorite summer side dishes, and with good reason - she dresses her version with toasted sesame oil and umeboshi vinegar, creating a perfectly balanced smoky-salty-earthy-tart flavor profile that is just plain addictive. I dubbed this dish “crack asparagus” because I have been known to eat an entire pound batch, stalk after stalk, all by myself. It’s delicious.

A note on umeboshi vinegar: this stuff is one of my holy grail condiments; I use it in EVERYTHING. For the uninitiated, umeboshi (or just ume) vinegar is the brine left over from making, well, umeboshi - those crazy good Japanese pickled plums. It is ruby-red, intensely salty, and puckeringly tart - order a few bottles online (link in recipe) and see for yourself. 

Crack asparagus with goat cheese grits and poached eggs

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus (thin stalks are best here), tough ends trimmed

2-3 Tb toasted sesame oil

1 Tb umeboshi vinegar  (yep, it’s gotta be this stuff)

1 cup yellow or white grits/polenta

3-4 cups water

1/2 stick butter

6 oz. goat cheese

4 eggs (2 per person)

1/4 cup white vinegar (if poaching the eggs)

Method:

1. Make the grits: bring 3-4 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium-to-large saucepan. (Use 3 cups water for stiffer grits, 4 cups for looser.) Stir in the grits or polenta, return to boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until tender while stirring continuously. Add the butter and goat cheese, stir to thoroughly combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and set aside.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet, grill pan, gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Toss the asparagus with the sesame oil to coat evenly, then grill until tender and charred (about 5 minutes). Remove asparagus to a plate and drizzle with umeboshi vinegar and extra sesame oil; toss to combine.
3. Prepare the eggs any way you like - poached are my favorite for this dish. Here’s my poaching method: bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a full rolling boil; meanwhile, crack eggs two at a time into mugs containing 1/4 cup white vinegar. When the water is boiling away, turn the heat down to medium-low, wait for the bubbles to mostly die down, and stir to create a “whirlpool.” Slowly lower the mugs into the water and slip the eggs in; cook until whites are set and yolks are runny, about 4 minutes. (If they’re taking a particularly long time to set, up the heat to medium.) Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels if desired, then plate ‘em up!

I WANT THIS IN MY LIFE. and thanks to the recipe, I WILL.