SERVES 2
Ajetes or ajos tiernos are tender green garlic shoots, harvested before the clove forms. Showing up in markets in late winter and spring, they look like skinny green onions with ruddy pinkish-tipped ends, but have a smooth, powerful, and persistent garlicky taste and aroma. Cooked, though, they soften in flavor and offer a sweetness to their garlicky taste. You can also substitute two garlic cloves and two green onions.
As revueltos are best prepared in smaller batches, this recipe serves two. To serve four, double the ingredients, cook the vegetables and shrimp together, remove half, and prepare two tortillas with the eggs one after the other.
1. Snap off the hard bottom part of each asparagus stalk at the natural break point and discard. Blanch, chill, and drain the asparagus following the directions on page 107. Cut off the soft tips and then cut the remaining stalks into ½>- to 1-inch/1.25- to 2.5-cm lengths, depending on their thickness. (The thicker the stalk, the shorter the piece.)
2. Trim the greenest part and root tip of each garlic shoot and discard. Peel off the outside layer. Cut into 1-inch-/2.5-cm-long pieces, with the final, thicker piece closest to the root end a touch shorter. There should be 24 to 32 pieces in total.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt until slightly frothy.
4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic shoots and cook until tender, fragrant, and slightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour the eggs into the pan. Let set for 10 seconds, and then stir two or three large, generous sweeps around the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the asparagus and stir again in generous sweeps around the pan, turning the eggs over, until the eggs are done but still quite moist, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Divide among two plates and generously grind pepper over top. Serve immediately.
