Asparagus is one delicacy that has everyone wanting to eat their greens. It has a delicate yet earthy, savoury flavour with the fresh undertones of petit pois and just the slightest, delicious hint of bitterness. Asparagus is the succulent, sweet, tender green shoot of a plant in the lily family. White asparagus has merely had sand banked around these shoots as they grow, which prevents the shoots from producing chlorophyll.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Food for thought… |
BUYING THE BEST
HOW TO CLEAN AND PREPARE ASPARAGUS
HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS Here’s our quick run-down of all the different ways you can cook asparagus. We recommend that you try them all to discover your personal favourite. Undercooked asparagus tends to be a chewy, slightly woody mouthful, while overcooked asparagus is a sad, mushy mess. Test with a fork as it cooks or (cook’s privilege) steal a spear from the pan and take a bite to test whether it is perfectly done – tender but with bite.
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MIND YOUR MANNERS
It is considered perfectly good manners to eat asparagus with your fingers. In fact, Debrett’s – that steward of Britain’s aristocratic heritage and the arbiter of society etiquette – has a whole entry dedicated to asparagus etiquette: “Hot asparagus is usually served with melted butter or hollandaise, cold asparagus with vinaigrette. Unless asparagus is a vegetable accompaniment to a dish, or covered in sauce, it should be eaten with the fingers. The asparagus spear should be picked up towards the end of the stem, dipped in any accompanying sauce and lowered into the mouth, bite by bite. There’s no need to chew through the tough, woody ends of the stems; they should be left neatly on the side of the plate.”
RECIPES TO SAVOUR
We agree that the sensational, delicate flavour of asparagus lends itself to a ‘less is more’ approach: dress lightly cooked asparagus with lemon butter and a touch of salt and pepper and you’re in for a treat. However, asparagus can also lift any dish from the ordinary into another realm, so try out this selection of our favourite ways with asparagus.
Minestrone
Our sensational minestrone recipe simmered gently in a Cast-Iron Casserole is packed with flavour and delicious, just-cooked greens. Baby marrows, peas, blanched broad beans and trimmed asparagus spears add crunch and a punch to this Italian classic.
Asparagus and Mascarpone Gratin
This is an elegant dinner-party or special-occasion dish. It is quick and easy to make in your Buffet Casserole, which also looks so good at the table. Chopped asparagus is gently baked with diced onion and butter for just 10 minutes, before being dolloped with mascarpone cheese and finished with a rich topping of Parmesan breadcrumbs. Bake for another 10 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling, and the kitchen is filled with its mouthwatering aroma.
Chargrilled Steak with a Fresh Herb Salsa, Roast Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus
Simple perfection, is how we describe this scrumptious meal. Sear the steaks on a piping hot Cast-Iron Grill for a few minutes until done to your liking, and then use the same grill to quickly cook the asparagus spears. Serve with a scrumptious sauce of finely chopped garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary mixed with olive oil, with crispy roast potatoes on the side. (This cheat’s version of roast potatoes is quick and easy: boil potato quarters until just cooked, score the surface with a fork and then deep-fry until golden and crunchy.)
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