Asparagus - how should I cook it?!


Question:

Asparagus - how should I cook it?

Some recipes say to boil in water for a v. short time, others for 20 minutes. And I need a simple sauce to go with it. Thanks


Answers:
I Hope this helps!!!


To clean asparagus, scrape off the paperlike scales on the side of spears and snap off the woody fiber ends at the bottom of the spears. (The upper half of these woody ends can be added to soup or vegetable broth for extra flavor - remove from the soup with a slotted spoon before serving).
Wash the asparagus thoroughly in cold running water. Asparagus may be cooked whole or can be cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces.

Barely cover with boiling salted water (use 1 teaspoon salt for each quart of water) and cook on high heat until tender. This will take approximately 20 minutes depending on the age at which the asparagus was harvested. Tender young asparagus will cook in less time. Test for doneness by piercing with the tines of a fork. Add additional water as needed while cooking. Asparagus may also be steamed and special upright asparagus steamers are available for the purpose.

Serve with melted butter, white sauce, cheese sauce, or Hollandaise sauce

The recipes below may be doubled.


THIN WHITE SAUCE:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water

MEDIUM WHITE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water

THICK WHITE SAUCE:

3 or 4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or one half cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water

Melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in cold milk, cooking over direct heat and stirring constantly until sauce boils; reduce heat slightly and continue to stir until sauce becomes smooth and thick. When sauce thickens, simmer for an additional 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
Stir carefully to avoid lumps. If sauce becomes lumpy, use a stick blender or rotary beater to blend out lumps or else press through a sieve. Wondra flour may be used to great advantage since this flour does not have a tendency to lump.


CHEESE SAUCE:

Make one of the white sauces above, and stir in 1/4 - 1 whole cup of grated sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack or other sharp cheese. Stir until cheese melts. One quarter to one half cup of chopped jalapeno peppers may be added for Nacho cheese sauce

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of paprika
1 teaspoon freshly minced parsley

Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. Stir in cream and beaten egg yolks. Whisk together. Add salt and lemon juice. Cook over boiling water in a double boiler until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and beat with a whisk until light. Stir in cayenne pepper, paprika and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Source(s):
cooks.com

a little olive oil, salt and pepper. grill or roast in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes.

i believe steaming is the best way especially for nutrient consumption

You can steam it.

For a sauce, you can use a light ranch dressing and add chopped dill.

it's good seared

I have a ton of recipes for asparagus..but just one with a sauce. I got this one from allrecipes.com

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce
INGREDIENTS

* 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
* cooking spray
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake asparagus 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

original recipe switches the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar amts. Make sure to brown the butter. enjoy!

Soak the asparagus in cold water for several minutes. Swish it to remove dirt and grit.
Bend each stalk gently until the tough, woody end snaps off. You may cut the ends off with a sharp knife.
Discard the ends or set aside.
If the asparagus is particularly tough or old, remove the skin from the stalk with a vegetable peeler.
To boil, tie the asparagus in bundles (this makes them easy to remove all at once) and immerse in boiling, salted water. Blanch for about 10 minutes, or just until tender. Remove bundles immediately, remove strings, and keep warm.
If using an asparagus cooker or tall pot, tie and stand the asparagus upright with the spears above water, then cover and cook just until the stalks are tender but still firm.
To microwave, arrange the spears in a round baking dish with the tips toward the center. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook on HIGH (100% power) for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, rotating the dish a half turn after about 4 minutes.

ASPARAGUS SAUCES:
Basil Sauce
(recommended for green asparagus)

2 ounces bacon, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup veal stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch fresh basil, minced, plus additional small basil leaves for garnish

In a medium saucepan sauté the bacon in the olive oil until it is very crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it well on paper towels. To the same saucepan add the butter and melt it, but do not brown. In it sauté the minced onion, add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Slowly add the stock and the heavy cream. Cook the mixture, uncovered, until it is reduced by half. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, and add the minced garlic. Stir in the minced basil and purée the sauce with a hand-held blender. Nap each serving of asparagus with some of the sauce and garnish with the bacon and small basil leaves.



Herb Cream

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons asparagus cooking liquid
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
Salt, freshly ground white pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chervil
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan bring the asparagus cooking liquid and the cream to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in the butter. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Stir in the minced herbs and serve over freshly cooked asparagus.



Wild Mushroom Sauce

1/2 ounce dried cèpes
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ounce Fontina cheese
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
Minced parsley

In a small bowl soak the dried cèpes in warm water. When the cèpes are softened, drain them, reserving the soaking liquid. Strain the soaking liquid through a double thickness of cheesecloth. In a medium saucepan sauté the drained mushrooms, shallots and garlic in the butter until the shallots are just translucent. Add the liquid reserved from soaking the cèpes and ? cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Over medium heat, cook the mixture, uncovered, until it is reduced by half, and strain it through a fine sieve. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the Fontina, and cook it over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons heavy cream and add the mixture very slowly to the sauce, whisking constantly. Nap each serving of asparagus with some of the sauce and garnish with thinly sliced mushrooms and minced fresh parsley.



Orange Sauce with Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon anise seed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup veal or chicken stock
Salt
Cayenne pepper
3 egg yolks
Freshly grated orange zest
Sprigs of fresh rosemary for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat sauté the anise seed, rosemary and garlic in the olive oil. Pour the orange juice through sieve into the saucepan, add the veal stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and
cayenne pepper to taste and reduce the mixture to about 3/4 cup. Whisk the egg yolks lightly, and whisk in a little sauce to lighten, then add this mixture back to the sauce and simmer gently to thicken. Nap each serving of
asparagus with some of the sauce and garnish with freshly grated orange
zest and fresh rosemary sprigs.



Curry Yogurt Sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Scant 1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt
Hard-boiled eggs

In a medium saucepan over low heat lightly sauté cilantro and curry powder
in oil. Deglaze with stock. Whisk together the yogurt, heavy cream and cornstarch, add the mixture to the saucepan, whisking, and cook the sauce 1 minute while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pour the sauce through a fine sieve. Nap each serving of asparagus with some of the sauce
and garnish with cilantro. Serve with quartered hard-boiled eggs.

Super easy, after cleaning put in microwave safe dish, add 2 tbsp of water, sprinkle with butter buds or small amt of butter. Cover with plastic wrap (allow to vent) put in microwave on high for 3 minutes, let set (steam will continue to cook it). Will be crisp and full of flavor and nutrients. NOT mushy and water logged.

Asparagus is my alltime favourite vegetable. I can't wait for it to cvome back into season.
I hope the following information is useful to you.

Selecting Asparagus

Fresh asparagus should have firm, bright, smooth spears with full, tightly formed heads. When you snap freshly harvested asparagus, it should be crisp, moist and juicy.

Storing Asparagus

Freshly harvested asparagus is very similar to cut flowers - it needs to be kept in cool, humid conditions. Some people stand the fresh spears upright in a container with 1cm cold water and store it in the refrigerator. Others wrap the spears in a paper towel, or a clean damp tea towel, then store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of their refrigerator for up to 4 - 5 days. Choose the method that suits you.

Preparing & Cooking Asparagus

It’s time to dispel the myth that asparagus is only for gourmet cooks. Preparing and cooking fresh asparagus is easy! Simply follow the basic steps below and you will be only minutes away from a tantalising dish - whether you are planning to steam it, stir-fry it, bake it, blend it, toss in a salad or even throw it on the barbecue.

Most green asparagus is ready-to-go. However, if the base of the stalk is tough, simply run a knife along the stalk until it meets less resistance, then cut the end off at this point. Or simply snap off the coarse ends with your forefinger and thumb.

White asparagus spears are usually thicker than green asparagus. White asparagus also has a thicker outer layer that can be easily removed. Simply use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of each spear two-thirds the length of the spear towards the tip, then snap off the woody end.

Purple asparagus spears are between 10% and 15% wider at the base than green asparagus spears. To select the freshest spears, consumers should look for firm, crisp stalks and compact brightly coloured heads with no trace of softness. When purple asparagus spears are sliced, the cream coloured flesh provides an especially effective presentation for salads and stir-fries.

Prolonged cooking causes purple asparagus to turn a deep green colour. To retain the vibrant purple colour, it is best to cook purple asparagus just until tender crisp. Or serve it fresh in salads and salsas. Interestingly, adding ‘acidic’ dressings using lime or lemon juice, or white wine or apple cider vinegar helps intensify the beautiful crimson hue.
You will find some wonderful asparagus recipes in the second link I have added.

Here is my favourite sauce recipe for asparagus:

Ingredients :

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon honey
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
4-5 bunches asparagus, ends snapped off
Coarsely ground black pepper

How to Prepare :

Combine the olive oil, garlic, honey, lemon rind and juice in a small bowl.
Cook the asparagus until tender crisp (see Tip). Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter, or individual serving plates, and drizzle the dressing over.
Dust with coarsely ground black pepper and serve hot, warm or cold.

Tip
To cook asparagus, steam for 4 minutes. To cook in a microwave oven, wash asparagus and, with the water still clinging to the spears, place in a microwave ovenproof bowl, then cover and cook on high for 3-4 minutes.



I hope this information helps.

God bless,

Sharon

Roast at about 400 with chopped shallots if you like. Drizzle w olive oil and sprinkled w salt for about 15 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. OR - you can blanch or steam the asparagus.

Asparagus with Blue Cheese & Pine Nuts

1-1/2 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
Salt, as needed
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lb. Asparagus, trimmed
3 oz. firm blue cheese, chilled
3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

To make vinaigrette, mix vinegar, shallot, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Whisk in oil; reserve.

To blanch asparagus, in a frying pan large enough to hold asparagus in one layer, bring approximately 3 inches of water to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Add asparagus. Cook at a medium boil until fork tender, about 3 minutes, depending on thickness. Drain on paper towel; cool.

Arrange asparagus on a platter; drizzle with vinaigrette. Roll spears to coat with vinaigrette. Shred cheese onto a piece of wax paper, using the small holes of a shredder. Evenly sprinkle shredded cheese over asparagus; scatter pine nuts over cheese.

Steamed. Serve with a melted butter/lemonjuice/caper sauce. Yummy!




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