Roasting the heads of garlic results in a less-pungent aioli — a nice quality in an appetizer, since too much raw garlic can hijack the palate for the rest of the evening.
·Aioli can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.
·Asparagus can be cooked 2 hours ahead and kept, covered with dampened paper towels, at room temperature.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 1/2 hr
Yield
Makes 8 (hors d'oeuvre) servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Cut off and discard tops of garlic heads to expose cloves, then brush each head with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Wrap heads together in foil and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm.
Step 3
Squeeze garlic from skins into a food processor and purée with mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Transfer aioli to a bowl and stir in chives.
Step 4
Peel lower two thirds of each asparagus stalk with a vegetable peeler. Cook asparagus in a wide 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and rinse under cold water until asparagus is cool. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Serve asparagus with roasted-garlic aioli.
Recipe notes
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