Chef Michael Tuohy of Woodfire Grill-Atlanta, GA
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch medium asparagus
• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma*
• ¼ pound Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  *You may substitute Serrano ham from Spain

Method:
For Balsamic Dressing:
Reduce balsamic vinegar by placing it in a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Bring the vinegar to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until liquid reduces to a syrup-like consistency, around 10 minutes. You must keep an eye on this! It will go from reduced to burnt rather quickly when it reaches the end. If you burn it, throw it out and start over.

Remove and allow to cool at room temperature. May be stored for one month in a covered container in the refrigerator.

For Asparagus:
Preheat grill, preferably wood or charcoal. A gas grill maybe used or a cast iron grill pan. Trim the bottom 1/4-1/3 inch off the asparagus. Do not peel the asparagus! Bring pot of water to a boil, large enough to hold the bundle of asparagus. Add 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt to the boiling water and then the asparagus. Blanch for around 4 minutes or until asparagus can bend slightly. Remove from boiling water and plunge into an ice water bath. Once thoroughly cooled, remove to a towel to dry.

Slice the prosciutto into smaller pieces, enough to wrap a single asparagus spear once. You don’t want it too thick or it won’t crisp properly. Wrap all of the spears of asparagus with prosciutto. Arrange on a sheet pan or cookie sheet. Pour some olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt and pepper to season. Move the spears around on the pan to coat with olive oil. Be careful not to saturate, you are just coating the spears so they don’t stick to the grill. Also, this will give a nice flavor as the asparagus and proscuitto begin to char.

Place spears onto grill across the grates. Do not pour or dump pan onto grill. Only put a manageable amount at a time on the grill, working in batches until you’ve grilled them all. Remove from the grill onto a serving platter.

To Serve:
With a spoon, drizzle reduced balsamic over spears, drizzle some more olive oil if desired. Grate a generous amount of parmesan over the asparagus, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.