The arrival of spring is marked as much by the delicacy of succulent asparagus as by the riot of color in your flower garden. In the short asparagus season, restaurants often advertise asparagus dishes. These meticulously prepared dishes taste divine, to say the least. But you can also enjoy easy home-cooked asparagus.
Asparagus has been around for quite a long time, always celebrated as a delicacy and praised as a health food. It is packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as fiber and folate. It also is 93 percent water content.
It has been dubbed an aphrodisiac in many cultures, due to its shape and taste. Asparagus is also considered a natural diuretic that can help you flush your body of excess fluids.
Asparagus doesn’t necessarily require fussy preparation. While there is a variety of ways you can incorporate asparagus in cooking, you can even eat it raw if the spears are particularly tender.
Asparagus can be steamed, boiled or blanched. You can also roast, fry, bake, grill or sauté it, depending upon how you want it. You can easily make its soup or add it to your pasta.
Here are two methods by which you can easily cook asparagus - boil and stir fry at home:
Method 1: Boiling Asparagus
Things you’ll need:
- Asparagus
- Water
- Salt, as per your taste
- Pepper, as per your taste
- Lemon juice
Step 1. Remove the bottom ends of the asparagus
Before cooking, remove the bottom ends of the asparagus with a knife. Since the bottom part of the spear is quite tough, it doesn’t cook as well as the rest of the spear. No one likes unsavory and hard asparagus bottoms on their plate.
Step 2. Put water in a pan
Put some water in a pan placed on heat. Let the water boil. The water should be just enough to completely submerge the asparagus.
Step 3. Put the asparagus in the pan
Put the asparagus in the pan. Turn the heat down and cover the pan with a lid. Let the asparagus simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
Boiling is a comparatively easy cooking method, but you need to be careful not to overdo it. Overcooking can make your asparagus mushy and tasteless.
Step 4. Move the asparagus to a plate when done
Transfer the cooked asparagus to a plate using tongs.
Season your asparagus simply with some salt and ground pepper. Squeeze some lemon juice to add a little acidic tang. Serve with a pat of butter.
You can also take the classic route and serve your asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. This combination is absolutely mouthwatering.
Method 2: Frying Asparagus
Things you’ll need:
- Asparagus
- Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Salt, as per your taste
- Pepper, as per your taste
- Minced garlic – 1 tablespoon
Step 1. Remove the coarse bottom ends
Cut off the bottom ends of the asparagus with a knife. The bottom end is a bit tough, coarse and a little woody as compared to the rest of the spear and not as succulent.
Step 2. Put butter in a heated pan
Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a heated pan and allow it to melt.
Step 3. Add minced garlic to the pan
When the butter is melted, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the pan. Cook the garlic until it turns golden.
Step 4. Fry the asparagus
Add the asparagus to the pan and fry it, stirring occasionally. Keep the heat on medium-low. Fry until it is cooked through and acquires a nice color.
Asparagus is often stir-fried in Asian cuisine.
Step 5. Transfer the cooked asparagus to a plate
When the asparagus is done, transfer it to a plate using tongs. Stir-fried asparagus is crunchy yet juicy, and thus, greatly appeals to the taste buds.
Simple yet elegant, salt and pepper seasoning is enough to make the asparagus mouthwatering. The quantity of salt and pepper should be as per your taste.
Parmesan cheese complements asparagus well. You can elevate the taste of your asparagus by serving it with stringed or shredded Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle chili flakes over it to add some heat as well as some color.
Stir-fried asparagus makes a great addition to any pasta dish. You can also prepare it as a side dish for a lunch or dinner.
Additional Tips
- Skins of thick and large asparagus don’t cook easily. Be sure to peel off the skin of the lower stalk if you have thick asparagus. White asparagus should always be peeled before cooking.
- Cooked spears should not be overdone. Overcooked asparagus doesn’t taste as good.
- You can also tie your asparagus into little bundles with kitchen string for easier handling while cooking. After cooking, cut off the string with scissors.
- If you are preparing more than a small quantity, cook the asparagus in batches for uniform cooking. Piling too much asparagus in the pan can lead to uneven cooking.
- When storing, keep asparagus standing upright in a jug or container filled with 1 to 2 inches of water.