ASPARAGUS RECIPES & COOKING TIPS
April 26th, 2011
STORING ASPARAGUS
Keep in a plastic bag in crisper drawer.
PREPARING ASPARAGUS
Soak asparagus in cold water. To trim the asparagus, simply snap off the tough woody bottoms by bend the stalk at the natural breaking point (where the color changes from white to green), 1 to 2 inches from the base.
COOKING ASPARAGUS
There are so many ways to cook asparagus! Below are basic techniques:
Grilling
Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Toss trimmed asparagus with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill directly or in a grill basket. Grill until just tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
Steaming
Steaming is a great option for the health-conscious cook because it utilizes very little or no fat. Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 inch water. Bring water to a boil. Add 1 pound trimmed asparagus, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 6 minutes.
Blanching
Drop trimmed asparagus into a large pot of simmering water and leave it for about 3-4 minutes. Then drain and shock by putting it in an ice bath. When blanched, the texture of asparagus becomes a little softer, but still crisp, and the color brightens up.
Sautéing
Sautéing asparagus is the cooking method most often used to prepare asparagus as side dishes to meat or fish entrees or in sauces for pasta. With sautéing as well as with stir-frying, it’s preferable to use blanched asparagus for softer texture. In a skillet, heat up oil or butter, add the trimmed asparagus and cook, tossing every once in a while, until tender but still firm and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. (For a healthier option use vegetable broth instead of oil or butter.)
Roasting
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place trimmed asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Roast asparagus until tender, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.
These cooking techniques were sourced from sustainabletable.org.
SERVING IDEAS
• Add asparagus to your favorite salad, stir-fry, or omlette.
• Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, melted butter, or grapeseed oil (such as Aprés Vin Lime Riesling or Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil).
• Squeeze lemon or lime juice over it.
• Douse with balsamic vinegar or any vinaigrette.
• Wrap with prosciutto.
• Top with shaved Parmesan and bake.
• Add a dollop of garlic sauce, lemon-thyme butter sauce, mustard sauce, or hollandaise sauce along-side.
• Serve with sauteed mushrooms.
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs, especially tarragon or chervil.
• Sprinkle with goat cheese and crumbled bacon.
ASPARAGUS RECIPES…
Betty Crocker Recipe
Grilled Asparagus and New Potatoes
Ingredients:
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 6 small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
• 1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed
Step 1:
Heat grill (set to medium heat). In large shallow bowl, mix 1 Tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Place in grill basket.
Step 2:
Place grill basket on grill. Cook 15 minutes, shaking grill basket occasionally to turn and mix potatoes.
Step 3:
Meanwhile, place asparagus in same shallow bowl. Add remaining Tbsp oil, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, & remaining 1.4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning. Toss to coat.
Step 4:
Add asparagus to potatoes in grill basket. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes and asparagus are tender, shaking basket occasionally to turn and mix vegetables.
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Martha Stewart Online & Mario Batali's cookbook "Italian Grill"
Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta with Citronette
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds large asparagus, 12 to 18 stalks per pound
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• Coarse sea salt
Step 1:
Snap the tough bottom stalks off the asparagus. Unroll the slices of pancetta. Lay an asparagus spear on a slight diagonal across one slice and roll it up, covering as much of the stalk as possible but leaving the tip visible. Place on a tray or small baking sheet and repeat with the remaining asparagus. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (this rest will help the pancetta adhere to the asparagus).
Step 2:
Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
Step 3:
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, juice, and mustard. Continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Step 4:
Place the asparagus on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until it is just tender and the pancetta is crisped, about 4 to 6 minutes. If the pancetta browns too much before the asparagus is cooked, move the spears to a cooler part of the grill.
Step 5:
Whisk the citronette again, and pour half of it onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with half of the chopped thyme and pile the asparagus on top. Drizzle with the remaining citronette and sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Serve with a small bowl of coarse sea salt for dipping.
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Recipe Sourced from William Sonoma Online
Asparagus-Parmesan Cheese Puffs
Ingredients:
• 1/4 lb. asparagus spears
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Step 1:
Cut or snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears and discard. Cut the spears crosswise on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces. Bring a sauté pan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and simmer just until tender, about 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.
Step 2:
In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and butter and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper into a small bowl. As soon as the milk reaches a boil and the butter has melted, remove from the heat and add the flour mixture all at once. Using a wooden spoon, beat vigorously until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3:
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.
Step 4:
Add the asparagus, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gruyère to the cooled dough and stir to mix well. Using a teaspoon, scoop up rounded spoonfuls of the dough and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 5:
Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a spatula, transfer the puffs to a warmed serving dish. Serve immediately.
Makes 36 puffs; serves 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Spring, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).
