Avocado Toast From Edward Kim, Ruxbin And Mott Street, Chicago

Ingredients

• Pickled Onion
• ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• Anchovies
• 2 white anchovies (boquerones), rinsed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• Tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• ½ medium shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ½ cup quartered cherry-sized heirloom tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Toast
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 thick asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off and spears halved lengthwise
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 avocado, halved and pitted
• ¼ teaspoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Two 1-inch thick bread slices
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Pickle the onion: To a small bowl, add the sliced onion and cover with red wine vinegar. Set aside for at least 1 hour (or up to 5 days).
2. Soak the anchovies: Place the anchovies in a small bowl, add the milk (enough to cover the anchovies) and turn to coat. Set aside for 1 hour.
3. Make the tomato topping: Use a blender to purée the extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, shallots, garlic and thyme. In a small bowl, toss the quartered tomatoes with the lemon zest, parsley, 1½ teaspoons of the blended vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Reserve the rest of the vinaigrette for later use.
4. Caramelize the asparagus: Heat a grill pan (or medium skillet) over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the halved asparagus spears. Season with a few pinches of salt and cook until the edges are golden brown, 5 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pinch of black pepper.
6. Scoop the avocado from the shell and use a fork to mash. Mix in the shallot, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
7. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the bread slices. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bread is golden, about 2 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and turn the toast over. Sprinkle the top side with salt and cook until the underside is golden, 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and place each piece of toast on a plate.
8. Top each toast with the avocado mixture and the tomato mixture. Place an anchovy on top of each. Add a few pickled onions and then lay the asparagus over each slice. Sprinkle with feta cheese, drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette, season with salt and serve.