A Wedding Anniversary / Cristal Room Baccarat & Guy Martin: Entrée: Warm Asparagus, Avocado & Grapefruit Snacké

Well....it was my wedding anniversary...our anniversary, 21 years !!!! Oh là là, I guess it's a kind of record nowadays...I always joke about that !...yet, I haven't seen these years go by...I realize time has passed when I see my children so big (and my wrinkles!)...and it's unfair because I still feel like I did, 21 years ago, on a very cold Buenos Aires night (yes! June 24th is winter time over there) so young, so inexperienced but so in love!

 So to celebrate the occasion, my husband told me to choose a restaurant in Paris, fit for the celebration "within the limits of what is reasonable...", if you know what I mean....Well what he means is that I am usually a reasonable girl, but sometimes I fall prey of some sort of "delirium" and I can come up with the strangest ideas....particularly dangerous for his wallet. So this restaurant was a good compromise: exquisitely decorated by Philippe Starck with the Baccarat chandeliers and glasses, plus cuisine étoilé by Guy Martin. The price stays within the limits of what is common sense, for this kind of establisment...

Photo by Jason Whittaker

The Cristal Room Baccarat is the restaurant in "la Maison Baccarat", in the XVI arrondisement of Paris, place de Etats-Unis. The maison belonged to a rich lady, Mme Marie Laure de Noailles, who would give parties gathering painters, writers and musicians. Perfect setting for world-acclaimed architect, Philippe Starck, who was given the freedom to remodel and redecorate this mansion at his will...The former 3000sq meter "hotel particulier" now houses Baccarat main office, a museum-gallery, a Baccarat store and the restaurant.

In general, I don't like ordering a full menu ( I never eat that much) but my husband insisted that this was the thing to do on a night like this...what's more, HE wanted to have the full menu! Trying to stay on the "light" side, I decided to have as an entrée, these warm asparagus, with avocado and grapefruit...fresh and suitable for a hot Parisian night....of course, this is MY dish, recreated at home...and of course, I don't have Chef Martin's recipe...but believe me, it was not very far from this...I will tell you where I made changes...

I do not know why the chef called this dish "snacké"...I guess he meant it is not an extremely sophisticated thing...(it is not) but I found it very appropriate for a summer dinner !

The dish is basically made up of boiled asparagus, with a sort of avocado purée, crowned by slices of grapefruit. In the chef's original version, the avocado was shaped into a rectangle positioned alongside the asparagus, and the slices of grapefruit were accomodated lengthwise... Maybe, because I am a woman, I decided that this "rosette" shape was much nicer, giving the duo avocado/grapefruit a "tartelette" inspiration....

I also decided to coat both the asparagus and the avocado with a vinaigrette made with honey, lemon and olive oil....

And of course, it wouldn't be me without my "mythical" already Piment d'Espelette always present in most of my dishes, adding here what I think is a marvellous touch of color and texture....

Fresh, light, yet elegant...!!

Want the recipe?


To make these warm asparagus, avocado & grapefruit snacké, you will need:
(2 servings)


 * asparagus, 8
 * avocado, 2
 * grapefruit, 2
 * lemon juice, 1/2
 * red onion, 1/2, finely sliced
 * cilantro, chopped, to taste
 * olive oil, 2 tablespoons
 * tabasco sauce, salt & pepper, to taste


for the vinaigrette
 * honey, 1 tablespoon
 * lime juice, 1
 * olive oil, 2 tablespoons
 * salt & pepper, to taste

Cut the tough end of the asparagus off, trying to make them have the same length. If your asparagus are thick like the ones here, you can shave off the hard skin with a potato-peeler.

Unless you have an asparagus boiler, you can cook them like this: tie them together with a cotton string, and then use an empty can (quite tall) to keep them together, so that when you put them inside a saucepan, the stems will boil but the spears will steam. Boil them in salt water for around 5' (depending on how thick they are). As soon as they are tender, remove them from the water and plunge them  icy water (to stop the boiling...) Asparagus should be tender but not overcooked!)

Cut the avocado in half, remove the flesh. Purée the flesh using a fork. Add lemon juice inmediately to avoid blackening. Combine with the cilantro, onion, olive oil and season to taste. 

Peel the grapefruit, removing the white skin. Slice the grapefruit in sections, leaving aside the membrane.

To assemble:

Accomodate 4 asparagus per serving on a dish. Place a ring mold on the dish. Spoon the avocado purée inside, smooth the surface. Decorate with the grapefruit sections on top. Coat those the asparagus and avocado/grapefruit duo with the vinaigrette.