This is one of the dishes from the May 8th Harvest dinner. It’s very subtle and showcases the flavor of the asparagus, I think it works well as a spring starter. Garlic compliments asparagus – this is just a different and lighter way of pairing them. Don’t be concerned about the crappie as it has only a slight fish taste, giving the acidic yogurt a bit more depth and texture. I used pumpkin seed oil and rhubarb vinegar because they are made here in Minnesota. The rhubarb is just for the bite, and the pumpkin seed brings the dish to less familiar territory. Garnish with almost any herb from the garden.
5 crappie filets
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup yogurt
1 Tablespoon flax seeds (toasted)
8 asparagus
2 green garlic bulbs
1 teaspoon rhubarb vinegar
bunch of oregano and/or basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin seed oil
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
1 Tablespoon butter
Crappie Rillette
Put crappies in a small pot, add 1/2 Tablespoon of salt and 2 Cups of whole milk (or just to cover). Bring mixture to a simmer and turn off, letting the residual heat cook the crappie through. Chill completely.
Remove the crappies from the milk and add yogurt, flax seeds and salt to taste. Mix until completely incorporated.
Green Garlic
Trim the ends of the green garlic, toss with sunflower oil and salt. Broil for 15 minutes or until the outside is slightly charred. Drizzle with a splash of rhubarb vinegar.
Asparagus
Toss the asparagus in sunflower oil and salt. Put in a roasting pan with small cubes of butter. Cook on broil for 8-10 minutes or until just cooked. There should still be a bite to them.
To serve.
Arrange the 4 spears of asparagus and one bulb of green garlic in the center of the plate. To the side, place a spoon of the crappie rillete. Garnish the plate with pumpkin seed oil and the herbs. Serve warm.
