Beer-battered Asparagus with Garlic Aioli

I love asparagus! I'm trying to venture out a little instead of fixing them the same few ways I know so when I came across this recipe I thought I would give it a shot. The coating is really good....to confess I sat there eating the little chiblets that where leftover lol. The garlic aioli was really good too and it's already got the wheels turning in my head for what else I could use it with. The only issue I had it the chiblets by themselves where much more flavorful then when you eat it with the asparagus. I thought the batter had a really nice thickness to it and held well on the asparagus as well. Overall I loved it and will be fixing it again.

Beer-battered Asparagus with Garlic Aioli

(Adapted from Guy Fieri)

1 bunch medium asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup beer, lager or pale ale
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups peanut oil
Sea salt
Garlic Aioli, recipe follows

In shallow pan, soak asparagus in buttermilk 12 to 24 hours. Remove from buttermilk, but do not rinse.

In a large bowl, combine well the egg yolks, beer, flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.

In large deep sided pot, heat oil to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a large clean bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.

Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter mixture.

Dip spears, 1 at a time into batter, then carefully lay in oil. Do not overcrowd pan. Fry in batches, if necessary. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the spears with tongs to ensure even cooking. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with sea salt, to taste. Serve immediately with Aioli.

Garlic Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zested
4 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Yield: 1 cup