Annabel Langbein’s Le Grand Aioli

3:10 pm on 4 November 2016

Add halved hardboiled eggs and/or a chunk of hot-smoked salmon or other smoked fish to make this classic French shared starter into more of a meal. You can change the veges to suit the season. Capsicum slices and halved cherry tomatoes also work well in summer.

Ready in 45 mins. Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 10-12 baby potatoes
  • 1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
  • 2 bunches asparagus or handfuls of green beans, trimmed
  • 200g snow peas
  • 1 fennel bulb, cut lengthways into paper-thin slices
  • 1 recipe Aquafabulous Mayonnaise or about 1¼ cups good quality storebought mayonnaise
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tarragon leaves, plus more to serve (optional)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 bunch radishes, halved if large
  • 2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 small cos lettuce, leaves separated and washed
  • 1 jar marinated artichokes, drained, or 6 cooked artichokes, halved (optional)
  • 1 recipe Green Goddess Hummus or storebought hummus

Method

Cook baby potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender (about 10 minutes). Add carrots to the pot in the last 2 minutes of cooking, then add asparagus or beans and snow peas for the last minute. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again. Cut larger potatoes in half.

While the potatoes are cooking, place fennel in a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to crisp up.

Blend mayonnaise with garlic, tarragon, if using, and lemon juice. Season to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Drain fennel and arrange on a platter with all other veges, garlic mayo, Green Goddess Hummus and tarragon garnish, if using, for people to help themselves.

This recipe is extracted from Annabel’s new spring / summer annual A Free Range Life: Celebrate Summer!

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