Chorizo and Charred Asparagus Tacos

Enter the charred asparagus taco, in which al dente shoots are at the centre of a big, complex bite.

March 21, 2016 | Tralee Pearce | Main Dishes

Rustik chef Christopher Walsh is eagerly awaiting this coming bounty, finalizing a spring menu to do it justice. Enter the charred asparagus taco, in which al dente shoots are at the centre of a big, complex bite.

In the tacos, “you get the freshness of cilantro, the char of the tomatoes and asparagus, then the heat of the chorizo and aioli on the back of the palate,” he says. “Food needs to tell a story as you bring out the flavours.”

Christopher builds this story using authentic flour tortillas made by AlbaLisa All Natural Mexican Food in Alliston, goat cheese from Woolwich Dairy in Orangeville and, to garnish the dish, microgreens from Caledon’s Nature’s Nurturing. Along with his style of cooking, this dish represents the reason he jumped at the chance five months ago to work with restaurateur Brett Jaggard, who opened Rustik in Orangeville two years ago.

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In a sauce pot, mix pickling spice, garlic, sugar, water and red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. Place red onions in a dish and pour pickling liquid over until just covered. Set the dish in the fridge for 10 minutes. Photo by Pete Paterson. Styling by Jane Fellows.

Chorizo and Charred Asparagus Tacos

Serves

Serves 4 (three tacos each)

Ingredients

12 flour tortillas
1 large bunch asparagus
Chorizo sausage (see recipe)
Chipotle aioli (see recipe)
Pickled red onions (see recipe)
Goat cheese
Tomato salsa (see recipe)
Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Toss asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper, and place on a hot grill until lightly charred.
Trim the stalks into bite sized pieces.
Brown chorizo in nonstick pan over medium heat.
Grill tortillas for 20 seconds a side in a hot pan.
Spread chipotle aioli on a tortilla. Spoon chorizo on top.
Add asparagus pieces and pickled red onions. Top with crumbled goat cheese and tomato salsa. Garnish with cilantro. Fold tortilla in half and skewer to hold in place.

About the Author More by Tralee Pearce

Tralee Pearce is the deputy editor of In The Hills Magazine.

Cooking with Chef Christopher Walsh of Rustik

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He’s full of insider tips too. Think you know how to make homemade mayo or aioli?

RustiK Restaurant

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Everything is made fresh, in house, daily. We put our heart and soul into the food we serve and since we expect nothing but perfection, we deliver nothing less.