Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They’re sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack! I’m guessing that if you have a cat in your life, he or she hates the water. Of all the…

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack
Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They’re sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack!

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack

I’m guessing that if you have a cat in your life, he or she hates the water.

Of all the cats that have been a part of our family over the years, not to mention the cats I’ve ever known, I never met one that wanted anything more with water, other than to drink directly out of the faucet!

Enter Chewy. Chewy came into our lives in October, and I had nothing to do with it. My family snuck her in, while I was in Napa for a lunch event, and in the few hours it took me to drive to wine country, eat, and come back, I came home to a husband and two kids who were bursting with the surprise.

They say the look on my face when I saw Chewy was priceless. And it wasn’t exactly a pretty look, I’m willing to bet. Then again, Chewy kind of looked like a little rat at first glance.

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack

But once the initial shock of having another pet in the house (and all the added responsibilities that, let’s be honest, fall upon these shoulders – my shoulders!) blew over, I fell in love.

Chewy is a sweetheart, and a cuddler, and wouldn’t you know it, likes the water.

You can imagine how shocked I was when I turned around in the shower one day, and there she was, blissfully playing under the stream, until she was soaked to the bone. She looked like…you guessed it…a wet rat.

I thought it might be an anomaly. But no, this cat loves the shower! As soon as she hears the water, you can count on Chewy jumping right in!

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack

Anyway, I realized the other day that there are foods that I kind of peg into the same hole, asparagus being one of them.

Always afraid of overcooking them into messy, mushy oblivion, I’d err on the side of caution to preserve the crunch and snap. But when we were in Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago, we had the most perfectly blistered asparagus at our favorite sushi restaurant — charred but crunchy, salty and deliciously spicy — I knew I had to recreate it when I got back home.

These Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli cook up so quickly, and are so packed with flavor, I guarantee that if you’ve never tried blistering your asparagus, it will change your mind about how to cook this vegetable. And just like crazy cats who love the water, I’m willing to bet you’ll love them even more.

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They're sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack

Eat Seasonal

Spring is around the corner! I’m excited to join Becky from Vintage Mixer and our friends to share dishes that embrace eating seasonal! Check out these recipes for more #EatSeasonal inspiration this March.

Creamy Vegan Kiwi Lime Avocado Pie by Letty’s Kitchen

Chana Aloo Gobi Masala: Chickpea, Potato, and Cauliflower Curry by Food for My Family

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas, Asparagus and Arugula by Floating Kitchen

Spicy Lemon-Ginger Tonic Tea by Suitcase Foodist

Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Pizza with Basil Cream Sauce by Vintage Mixer

Glazed Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake with Candied Lemons by Simple Bites

Frozen Chocolate-Dipped Kiwi with Sea Salt by Project Domestication

Tempura Cauliflower with Spiced Yogurt Dipping Sauce by Completely Delicious

Easy Lemon Thyme Roasted Artichokes by Flavor the Moments

Healthy Shamrock Shake by Joy Food Sunshine

Curry Roasted Cauliflower by Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon Chimichurri by She Likes Food

Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup by Mountain Mama Cooks

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli

Serves 4 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 5 minutes

Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli is simply addictive! They’re sure to please a crowd, whether served as an appetizer or a spicy snack!

Ingredients

For the Sriracha Aioli:
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Sriracha (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Blistered Asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon hot chili oil (to taste, use less if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 pound asparagus, bottoms trimmed, and cut into 3 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon Japanese togarashi or cayenne pepper (optional)
Course salt (such as Kosher salt or sea flakes)

Instructions

Make the Sriracha Aioli:
Peel and mash the garlic along with the salt, finely mincing and pressing with the side of the knife to create a paste. Place the garlic in a small bowl, season with some freshly cracked black pepper and whisk in the egg yolk until it is creamy. As you whisk, begin to add the olive oil gradually: begin with just a few drops of olive oil, fully whisking until the yolks thicken and emulsify. Continue adding the olive oil in drops, then in a very slow stream, continually whisking. It should be thick and very creamy. Whisk in the buttermilk and season with Sriracha, sherry vinegar, and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This can be done a few days in advance.

Make the Blistered Asparagus:
Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron would be ideal) over high heat. Add the olive oil and hot chili oil, swirling the skillet to evenly coat. Drop in the asparagus, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they char and blister, and turn a brilliant green. Season with togarashi (if using) and salt and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve while piping hot, with the Sriracha Aioli.

Notes

If you don’t have time to make the aioli, you can take a shortcut! Simply mix about 1/2 cup mayonnaise with Sriracha and the sherry vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Aioli sauce adapted from The Creamiest Aioli Recipe, Suzanne Goin, via Bon Appetit (April, 2012).

Comments

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  1. Sizwe

    Loved the story about chewy I am much more of a cat person than a dog person and know I would love Chewy. This recipe was amazing I always find myself doing the same boring thing baking asparagus after dribbling olive oil on it seasoning with salt and pepper or maybe getting a little creative and using Spike seasoning to spice it up. This time around the family got excited for the asparagus after smelling it cooking in the skillet (it did get a little smoky and the fire alarm went off but I just joked that’s how you know it’s spicy enough). Thank you for this great recipe looking forward to exploring a bunch more.

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Sizwe, you would love Chewy – she is the sweetest cat! I’m so glad that everyone loved the blistered asparagus — I chuckle at the smoke alarm story because this used to happen ALL the time at our old house!

      Reply
  2. Bridget

    These smoked up my kitchen so much during the cooking process I was worried my smoke alarm would go off!! Is that normal or was I doing something wrong? Also, this was not as spicy as I was expecting, I’m wondering if there is a difference between “chili infused oil” (which I bought) and “chili oil” which the recipe calls for. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi Bridget, I wonder if you left the oil in the pan too long before adding the asparagus? It might have been too hot and smoky if left on the stove too long with nothing else in the pan. As for the spicy factor, there’s definitely two components to this. (1) The chili oil can definitely make a difference. There are some chili oils out there that simply has a lighter infusion of chili flavor (what brand did you use?). I use a chili oil that can be found in Asian markets that definitely is very spicy. You can use Dynasty Hot Chili Oil for lots of kick. (2) The second layer of spiciness comes from the sriracha aioli, and the beauty of this is you can customize the spiciness to taste by adding more sriracha. I hope that helps!

      Reply
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    • This is the information I am looking for. This article is clear and easy to understand. I’m learning more about this. Hope you bring more things related to it. Thanks a lot!

    Reply
  4. Izzy

    Aww, Chewy sounds awesome! I’m a cat lover through and through!

    These asparagus are so pretty looking! I’m always looking for interesting ways to cook my asparagus and this is definately going on my spring menu!

    Reply
  5. kelley {mountain mama cooks}

    I couldn’t help but laugh out loud imagining your cat in the shower! I have a 70-lb dog that likes to try and get in the bathtub with my boys! And this asparagus looks amazing- you’re totally right- overcooked asparagus is a major bummer. Roasted is the way to go. I’m a sucker for anything with Sriracha sauce!

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      70 lbs!?! Woah! I’m relieved that Chewy is a teeny thing, LOL! Sounds like bathtime is fun at your house!

      (I’m a sucker for anything Sriracha, too!)

      Reply
  6. Becky

    I love chewy!! I’m not usually a cat person but this story has me. My son wants a cat so maybe I’ll be getting tips from you in my near future.

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      I think when you are ready and your son gets his cat, you’ll fall in love! Sometimes I think our cats behave more like dogs than our dog does :)

      Reply
  7. marcie

    Chewy sounds adorable. I’m such an animal lover and would have a hard time resisting a new pet if the family surprised me. :)
    I’ve been buying up so much asparagus, and I’m very particular about how it’s cooked (no mushy asparagus for me). Blistering it sounds like a perfect way to try it next time and I’m in love with the spice!

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      You would love Chewy! And yes, resistance is futile — I’m always the one who is last on board with getting a new pet, but I always fall deeply in love.

      Reply
  8. Olga @ MangoTomato

    Printed. Intended to make!!! I’m intrigued by the use of buttermilk. Also, I’ve become a huge fan of togarashi lately (try it on soy marinated eggs!!).

    Reply
  9. Laura

    I’m totally with you, I have a fear of overcooking asparagus too! This method is perfect for retaining the crispiness! YUM!

    Reply
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