The main problem is that you don't even get the 'real' asparagus here: nothing better than thick and juicy pieces of white asparagus with butter, pepper and a nice salt, boiled new potatoes and maybe a little Schnitzel. When in Germany, I used to start putting money into a piggy bank in January so that I could splurge through asparagus season...
Stefan
plenty of what you describe is available in Ohio, at least.Originally Posted by apicius9
Blanched, chilled asparagus, diced & mixed with diced tomatoes and vinagrette. Topped with smoked salmon (or grilled chicken or crab or...) Don't usually advocate microwave cooking, but was in a hurry and blanched some in the microwave the other day and it came out very nice--brought a pan of water to a boil in the microwave, dumped in the asparagus, nuked 2 or 3 minutes more, then into ice water.
We snap ours like Son described. I also like to use a vegetable peeler to clean up the stem. After snapping and peeling, I put them in a bowl and cover them with water until ready to use--it crisps them up a bit.
Can also cook in the oven--rub a piece of foil with olive oil, put your cleaned asparagus on the foil, seal up tight, and toss it in a 400 degree F oven. Cook until desired doneness. It will be pretty soft at 20 minutes.
Good with butter & salt, butter & lemon, hollandaise, salad dressing, just about everything.
Excellent as tempura.
Sauteed in butter with or without other veggies and put into an omelette or scramble.
Now is not the time to bother me. And it's always now. Wiley Miller
Have to put Ohio on the 'potential places to move to' - list, no white Sparagus out here as a norm, and the one time I saw some it was at least a week old.
Stefan
I make a delicious "cream" of asparagus soup that serves 4 as a soup course:
I start by sweating 1 medium sweet onion and 1 bunch of fresh asparagus cut into coins in 4 tbsp. of unsalted butter with salt, a pinch of white pepper and a healthy splash of good quality sauvignon blanc until asparagus is al dente. Next I combine this with 1.5 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (a fine natural thickener), 2 cups of chicken stock and .5 cup of soft goat cheese and blend until smooth in my Vitamix. After blending, I heat to serve in a 4 qt. sauce pan. Meanwhile, I render 4 slices of julienned prosciutto in a saute pan for a tasty garnish.
i'm not sure good white asparagus is worth it being hotter than hell most of the year with 90+% humidity...
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I recommend checking the bottom of any asparagus you're thinking of buying. The moister they are, the more recently they've been cut. I also try and feel the bottom inch or so; if it feels tough and fibrous, it was likely cut a while ago. And, as Son recommended, look at the tips. Don't buy any tips that are slimy, or soft - look for tips that are solid. (You can also cut the bottom inch plus or so, then peel the outer layer of the lower portion of asparagus until you get past the tougher, fibrous outer area and use the remainder. You may still have a little fibrous portion of the base, but you'll also have more usable product.)
As for thickness, I prefer thicker spears now because my favorite way of cooking them is on the grill (brushed with a little oil and salt and pepper, and over direct heat until just sightly charred), or in a hot cast iron pan with the same preparation. Thinner spears tend to wilt too much when cooking at such high heat.
And, instead of a dedicated asparagus cooking pot, I get a pot of salted, boiling water going, hold the bunch of asparagus by the tips, and then submerge the bottom portion (two inches or so) of the bunch in boiling water for about 2 minutes and then drop the entire stalks into the pot. That way, I get the stem partially cooked before cooking the delicate tips.
Michael
"Don't you know who he is?"
Thicker asparagus are what I've come to prefer. It's best to peel them, their skins being a bit fibrous and tannic can distract from their sweeter side. Eggs, as mentioned before have a natural affinity with asparagus. A few years ago I was fooling around with black garlic, which has a faint hint of anise to it. So I went old school and made a black garlic tarragon compound butter. This compound butter by itself had a familiar asparagus flavor to it so I gave it a shot. Best combo I've had with asparagus in quite sometime. Grill, steam, blanch sauteed- all great with the butter.
And don't be alarmed if you smell something funny when using the restroom! Asparagus's dirty little secret.
Asparagus make my peepee smell funny!
It always surprises you. Just one tiny bit, and then when it's time for a #1. you're like "oohoo that smell".........
"See... the problem here is that... my little brother, this morning, got his arm caught in the microwave, and uh... my grandmother dropped acid and she freaked out, and hijacked a school bus full of... penguins, so it's kind of a family crisis... so come back later? Great."
-Lane Myer (Definitely not as in Oscar Mayer)
You are an interesting fellow, I think I shall replace you with a trained chimp. We like boring here. Good day, sir.
I haven't lived the life I wanted, just the lives I needed too at the time.
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