Grilled Asparagus With Tahini Super Sauce

Don’t let the grocery store fool you—asparagus has a season (and it’s not the middle of August). Spring is prime time for these green stalks, when they’re at their bright, perky, taut-skinned best. If you’re grilling, roasting, or steaming asparagus, or otherwise planning to serve them whole, look for thick spears. The ratio of fiber to sweet tender flesh is better distributed than their pencil-thin (though admittedly elegant) siblings, and for the purposes of grilling, they’re easier to manipulate with less risk of falling through the grates. Save skinny asparagus for stir-fries, sautés, or other situations in which they’ll be sliced up.

The season is short-lived, so the rules are straightforward: Cook asparagus simply and often, and serve it with something salty and fatty to offset its sweet, nutty grassiness. This tahini mayo is an instant favorite that checks all the boxes. It’s veritable super sauce as silky as hollandaise, with the anchovy-garlic sharpness of bagna cauda, both classic pairings for asparagus. The rest of the year serve the sauce with radishes or cucumbers to dip into, pooled under tomatoes, alongside breaded chicken, or tossed with kale as a sort of tahini Caesar.