Fresh asparagus spears have an irresistible sweet and snappy texture when enjoyed raw. Cooking the fibrous greens unlocks new flavors. The naturally delicious flavor doesn’t need more than a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. However, the robust texture holds up well to richer sauces like hollandaise, a squeeze of lemon, or more umani and rich sauces in stir-fries.
How to peel the asparagus ?
Place the asparagus flat on the work surface and hold it by the heel (end opposite the tip). Peel with a peeler starting from the base of the toe and working your way down to the heel. Rinse the asparagus under running water and dry them on a cloth or on absorbent paper
How to Cook Asparagus :
Asparagus can be prepared on the stove, in the oven, or even on the grill if you want to cook outside. The char when broiled adds a hint of smokiness, while steaming keeps them bright green and succulent. The technique selected is all dependent on what taste experience you’re going for, and what is most convenient.
Boiled Asparagus :
Add salted water to a large pot.Add asparagus to the boiling water. Cook until bright green and tender, 1 to 3 minutes. Shock in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process if not eating right away.
Steamed Asparagus :
Place the asparagus in the steamer basket and cover. Cook on high heat, once steam forms cook until bright green and fork-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Shock in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process if not eating right away.
Roasted Asparagus :
Coat the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook on a sheet pan at 400°F (204ºC). Broil for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through.The tips should be browned and spear tender.
Sauteed Asparagus :
Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Saute the spears over high heat in a saute pan with oil or butter. Saute until lightly browned and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. The same method can be used in a wok to stir-fry the asparagus.
Broiled Asparagus :
Set oven to the broil setting. Coat asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper, transfer to a sheet tray. Cook asparagus 6-inches away from the upper heating element in the oven. Broil until the asparagus are lightly browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Pan-Roasted Asparagus :
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat with olive oil and butter. Add the asparagus and coat in the cooking fat.
Cover and cook until the asparagus are bright green and crisp, 3 minutes. Remove cover and turn heat to high. Season with salt and pepper. Sear the asparagus, moving with tongs until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
How do you select asparagus?
Spring is the best time to purchase asparagus, between February to June, however they are available year-round from international sources. They come in different colors other than green, be on the lookout for purple and white varieties too. Depending on when the asparagus is harvested will determine the size, the wider spears have had more time to grow.
Just make sure to adjust cook time for very thin or thick spears. The long stems should be bright green in color and firm, the tips should be closed, and the skin should have a smooth and rubbery sound when the bunch is squeezed together.
How do you store asparagus?
Store the asparagus in the crisper section of the refrigerator. If not eating within 2 days, trim a ½ inch off the bottoms and wrap in a damp paper towel placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be placed in a tall jar or cup with about 1-inch of water in the refrigerator and then loosely cover the top with a plastic bag. If the tips begin to get mushy, it’s time to toss them out.
How do you prepare asparagus?
The very bottom of the plant needs to be trimmed because the bottom stem is too tough. The best way to know where to cut the inedible part is holding the center and bottom with your fingertips and snapping in half. That natural breaking point can be used as a guide to trim the rest of the spears. A vegetable peeler can also be used to shave off the thick outer skin to reduce waste. Make sure to wash the asparagus before cooking, and try them with a towel if you are using dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or sauteing so it doesn’t steam instead of brown.
Asparagus nutrition :
According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 1 kg (1000g) of asparagus contains the following nutrients:
201.5 calories
50.97 grams of protein
0.89 grams of fat
17.9 grams of fiber
14.02 grams of sugar
Health benefits of asparagus :
It might be surprising to find that this nutrient-dense vegetable, Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant. Not only can the bumpy tips be eaten, but the entire green parts of the stem is very tender. It has impressive levels of micronutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin C, B vitamins, Vit A, vitamin K, and Vit E. Asparagus also contains flavonoids and polyphenols for strong antioxidant properties. The presence of soluble and insoluble fibers helps with healthy digestion properties, especially with feeding your guts good bacteria. If you’ve ever wondered why a certain distinctive smell appears after eating, it’s just the asparagusic acid. It breaks down to sulfur-containing compounds when digested which are highly volatile.
Can you rehydrate limp asparagus?
Yes! Refrigeration can dry out the vegetable, and since it’s packed with moisture, it likes to be stored that way to stay fresh. If the spears are looking a bit limp, but not old and mushy, it can be rehydrated. Simply trim off a bit of the tough ends, place in 1 inch of water, cover the tips with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The spears should firm up and regain its texture.
How to cook Asparagus
Ingrédients
Boiled Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
- 8 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Steamed Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
- Water, enough to cover the bottom of the pot
Roasted Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- Black pepper, as needed for seasoning
Sauteed Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Broiled Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- Black pepper, as needed for seasoning
Pan-Roasted Asparagus :
- 1 pound asparagus spears
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Pickled Asparagus :
- 2 pounds asparagus spears
- 1 pint water
- 1/4 cup 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (or another non-iodized salt)
- 1 tablespoons sugar (or 2 teaspoons honey)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
- Optional: 2 to 4 grape leaves
- 2 dill flower heads (or 2 sprigs fresh dill leaves or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed)
- 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- Optional: lemon slice
- Optional: small dried chile
Instructions
Boiled Asparagus :
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, about 1 to 2 inches.
- In a large pot add water and salt. Bring water to a boil, and then add the asparagus.
- Cook asparagus until bright green and fork tender, about 1 to 3 minutes.
- If not eating right away, transfer asparagus to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Reheat when ready to use and season before serving.
Steamed Asparagus :
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, about 1 to 2 inches.
- Add enough water to the bottom of a pot so that it does not rise above the steamer basket. Place steaming basket into the pot and then the asparagus. Cover and heat on high, water should be steaming.
- Once the steam builds, cook the asparagus until bright green and fork-tender, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- If not eating right away, transfer steamed asparagus to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Reheat when ready to use and season before serving.
Roasted Asparagus :
- Set the oven rack in the center position. Preheat to 400°F (204ºC).
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, about 1 to 2 inches.
- Place asparagus on a sheet tray, coat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Line tray with foil for easier clean up.
- Roast for 5 minutes, and then shake the pan a few times.
- Roast another 3 to 5 minutes, until the asparagus are browned on the edges and tender.
Sauteed Asparagus :
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, and then cut into 2-inch spears.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, alternatively, use a wok if stir-frying.
- Once hot, add the olive oil or butter.
- Add in the asparagus spears and saute until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Broiled Asparagus :
- Set the oven rack to the upper position, about 6-inches away from the upper heating element.
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, about 1 to 2 inches.
- Set oven to broil, use the high setting if that’s an option.
- Place asparagus on a sheet tray, coat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Line tray with foil for easier clean up.
- Broil until the asparagus are lightly browned on the edges and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Pan-Roasted Asparagus :
- Trim off the tough bottoms of the asparagus, about 1 to 2 inches.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter, once the butter is melted add in the asparagus.
- Use tongs to coat the asparagus in the oil and butter.
- Cover and cook until the asparagus are bright green and crisp, 3 minutes.
- Remove cover and turn heat to high. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the asparagus, moving with tongs as needed until browned on the outside, 3 to 5 minutes.
Pickled Asparagus :
- Gather the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- While you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, wash and trim the asparagus. Trim it by holding each spear near either end and bending it gently. It will snap at exactly the borderline between the tougher bottom end and the more tender tip end. Save the bottom ends for making asparagus soup. You'll be using the tender part of each spear for these pickles.
- Once the pot of water is at a full rolling boil, drop in all of the asparagus spears and boil for only 15 seconds.
- Drain the asparagus in a colander and immediately transfer it to the bowl of ice water.
- Bring the pint of water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, stirring once or twice to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let the brine cool slightly while you load the quart jar (or two pint jars).
- Place the garlic cloves and one of the grape leaves (if using) into the bottom of a clean glass quart jar or a couple of pint-sized jars. You do not need to use special canning jars and seals, and you don't need to sterilize the jars.
- Put the jar on its side and start loading in the asparagus spears, adding the dill, mustard seeds, and remaining optional ingredients as you do so. Note that if you alternate tip ends up with thicker ends up, you will be able to pack more asparagus spears into the jar. Be sure to pack the spears in tightly so that they will not float up out of the brine.
- Pour the cooled brine into the jar over the other ingredients, being sure to completely cover the asparagus with the liquid.
- Secure the lid and place in the refrigerator. The tips of the asparagus spears may take on a pink hue because of the vinegar—this is completely safe and even attractive in the finished product.
- The pickles will be ready to eat in three days, but will be much better if you wait a week, and even better if you can wait two weeks before sampling. They will keep in the refrigerator for three to four months but will start to lose their texture after that.
- TIP : The relatively low ratio of vinegar to water in this recipe is part of what gives these pickles their bright, not overly pungent taste. Keep in mind, though, that this is less vinegar than you would need to make canned pickles for safely storing at room temperature. Keep these in the fridge.