In My Kitchen
Asparagus
By Robert Wallack
Out by the stone wall that edges the front field along the road, a handful of asparagus stalks poke up through the underbrush. It’s a strange spot for an asparagus bed, and I don’t think they were actually planted there. It could be they’re wild, though I don’t know much about wild asparagus - one of those little things I’ve been meaning to research that somehow never takes precedence over what ever else is at hand.
In any case, every spring, when the air is perfumed from the lilacs, a few stalks inch up out of the tangle of untamed rose canes and daylilies, not enough to even make one serving but there nonetheless. Before I know it, and if I haven’t clipped the edge of the field with the mower deck that bounces and rattles behind the tractor, the asparagus ferns rise up feathery in the morning light and remind me that summer is, indeed, fleeting and I haven’t gotten around to the project of putting in a cultivated asparagus bed. You see, planting asparagus is for those with patience in the garden. For me, waiting 65 days for a tomato is an eternity. Asparagus require the long view; in two years you may get a sampling. After three years the plants will start to come into their own.
It used to be that asparagus season in the supermarket was just about as fleeting as it was in the garden here in New England. And while prices are indeed cheaper during the late spring and early summer, asparagus can be had pretty much year ‘round for those who don’t harbor any guilt about how much energy is used to get them here from California and beyond. I tend to shy away from using produce out-of-season to us in New England, but I do have one favorite recipe that pairs asparagus with prosciutto and a reduction of balsamic vinegar that, frankly, works well even when the asparagus aren’t at their peak.
But for springtime, when we’re blessed with a fresh, local crop of asparagus, I have another favorite recipe that doesn’t gussie up the spears or add any other exotic flavors. As a first course, I like to serve freshly steamed asparagus along with melted butter, a wedge of lemon and a soft-boiled egg. Diners give a quick squeeze of lemon over the asparagus, dip the spear in the butter and then in the egg – sort of a do-it-yourself hollandaise sauce but not as heavy, allowing the flavor of the egg and the butter to frame the unique taste of the asparagus and not overwhelm it.
Whatever way you like to serve asparagus, it is essential they’re not overcooked. The only trick to preparing asparagus is keeping a keen eye on the pot and not straying too far. They can go from done to overdone in a matter of a minute or two, leaching away the bright, green color, dulling the flavor and turning them mushy. I prefer steaming to boiling – it seems to preserve the delicate flavor better - but either way is fine as long as care is taken to insure the spears retain a little crunch. The only way to tell is to pluck one from the pot and bite into it.
When shopping for your asparagus, look for bright, green spears about ½-inch thick with tight crowns. Avoid spears that look dried out or wrinkled. When you get them home, stand them in an inch or two of cold water and refrigerate until ready to use. To prepare for cooking, wash the spears thoroughly under cold water to remove any sand from the crowns but taking care not to break them. You can either snap off the woody butt end of the spear – it snaps at the point of tenderness – or trim with a pairing knife. If the butt ends are not too woody, save them to use in soup. Some earlier cookbooks recommend peeling asparagus, but unless they are older spears, I’ve never found this necessary.
Whether steaming or boiling, the cooking time is only a matter of minutes depending upon the thickness of the spears. If you’ll be serving your asparagus cold – they’re great in salads or simply dressed with a little vinaigrette – plunge the spears into ice-cold water immediately after cooking to preserve the fresh, green color.
Asparagus with Butter and Egg
This recipe makes a fun and interesting first course that’s easy and allows diners to focus on the asparagus as a fitting tribute to a fleeting culinary moment. The asparagus are steamed and served with butter, lemon and soft-boiled egg in which to dip the spears. Call it the lazy man’s deconstructed hollandaise.
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
4 extra large whole eggs
¾ cup of butter
salt and fresh-ground pepper
lemon wedges
Softboil eggs in their shells for approximately 3 minutes. Remove and hold in warm water until ready to serve.
Melt butter in a small saucepan and keep warm.
Steam asparagus in a covered sauce pan until just tender, approximately 3 minutes; test for doneness by removing one spear and tasting. Remove to four small, warmed serving plates, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve each diner a plate of asparagus, a small bowl of melted butter and a soft-boiled egg in its shell with the top removed and standing in an egg cup. (You can improvise with an espresso cup.) Garnish each plate with lemon wedges.
Instruct diners to squeeze the lemon over the asparagus, dip the spears in the butter and then into the egg yolk… and enjoy.
Serves four.
Sauted Asparagus with Proscuitto
This recipe is adapted from one I discovered several years ago in Saveur magazine. The recipe was published with a story on an Italian restaurant in Oregon’s wine country. I serve it as a first course. The combination of the salty prosciutto and the tart/sweet balsamic syrup pairs well with the asparagus, whose flavor has been intensified by sautéing until lightly crisped and browned.
Ingredients
36 asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
½ pound of domestic prosciutto, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon butter
1tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar
Fresh-ground black pepper
Place vinegar in a small, stainless or enamel sauce pan over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook over medium high heat until vinegar is reduced to ¼ cup or until it is a thick syrup. To test, put a few drops on a chilled plate. Syrup should hold its shape and not run. Remove from heat, cool slightly and pour into a small squeeze bottle with a nozzle – the kind you would use for ketchup or mustard works fine.
Bring two quarts of water to a fast boil in a large pot and blanch asparagus spears for 2 minutes. Quickly remove spears from pot and plunge in cold water to stop cooking and preserve color. When completely cold, remove from water and dry on paper towels.
Make a small bundle with three spears and wrap with a slice of prosciutto. Set aside on a plate until all the spears are used.
Melt butter with oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter reaches the point of fragrance, add the asparagus bundles and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Meanwhile, take four small plates and squeeze the balsamic syrup onto the plates in a grid or zig-zag pattern.
When asparagus are nicely browned on both sides remove from the heat and place three bundles on each plate. Give each plate a fresh grind of black pepper and serve immediately.
Serves four.
Robert Wallack is a food writer and chef at the Olde Post Office Café. He offers private and group cooking lessons at Thee Apple Farms in Mount Vernon.