Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries with Homemade Lemon-Garlic Aioli

For the asparagus: Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or brush it lightly with oil.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites in a medium dish and gently whisk the whites. (Reserve one of the yolks for the mayo, use the other yolk for something else.)

In another medium-sized bowl add panko, flour, finely grated Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Roll a few of the asparagus in the egg whites, drain off any excess and then roll them in the panko/Parmesan to coat. Place on the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining asparagus.

Pop the sheet of asparagus into the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes flipping the asparagus half way through, continuing to bake until the outside is lightly golden. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

For the aioli: In a mini food processor (or regular size) add a whole egg, the egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of brown mustard and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Place the top on the mini-processor and turn on high. Slowly stream in the grapeseed oil (this takes a few minutes so don’t rush it) while the processor is still running. To make this mayonnaise an aioli, remove the top of the processor and add in the remaining lemon juice, the chopped garlic and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth.

For the best tasting aioli, store in an air-tight glass jar and refrigerate overnight.