Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. Cook
asparagus in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2
to 3 minutes. Drain spears, then refresh in ice water.
Drain asparagus again and pat dry.

A Catalan composed salad, or
amanida, may be made of
almost anything, though ham,
sausage, or anchovies are
often included.
Traditionally, the ingredients
are added to the final
presentation individually
rather than mixed together.

2 lb thin asparagus, trimmed
and peeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons blanched
almonds, finely chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over moderate
heat until hot but not smoking, then cook almonds,
bread crumbs, and cumin, stirring frequently, until
toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool. Add remaining oil to
vinegar in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
Season with salt and pepper.

2 tablespoons coarse dry
bread crumbs

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 medium head escarole, cut

We love to use Unio, a
fragrant, peppery oil made
from the region's arbequina
olives, both for cooking in this
dish and for drizzling over it.

into 1/4-inch-thick strips (6
cups)
1/2 lb serrano ham or
prosciutto, sliced

Toss escarole with half of dressing and mound on
plates. Arrange ham around escarole and top salad
with asparagus. Drizzle asparagus with remaining
dressing. Sprinkle salad with almond-and-crumb
mixture.

Per Serving (excluding unknown
items): 189 Calories; 20g Fat
(94.4% calories from fat); 1g
Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g
Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol;
2mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0
Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Vegetable; 4 Fat; 0 Other
Carbohydrates.