Best Cooked Asparagus Recipes

PAN-COOKED ASPARAGUS AND MIXED FISH

Steps:

• Get a really large frying pan, or 2 smaller ones, on the heat and add a glug of olive oil. Score the skin of your fish fillets all over, about 1/2-inch deep, and season. Put the fish fillets into the pan, skin side down, with the squid tentacles. Add the scallops. Run your knife down 1 side of each squid to open them out, then quickly and lightly score the inside in a crisscross fashion. Lay them in the pan, scored side down. Add the asparagus and gently shake the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then turn everything over and cook on the other side. Sprinkle over the thyme tips.
• You're the one in control of the pan, so if something looks cooked, take it out and keep it warm. Don't watch things burn! When the fish has crispy skin, the scallops are golden brown with caramelized edges and the squid has curled up and is nicely charred, remove the pan from the heat. Put the squid on a chopping board and roughly slice it into pieces at an angle, then return to the pan. Lay the fish fillets on each plate. Toss the asparagus, scallops and squid with half the chile, a good drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Lightly season and mix together. Divide on top of the plated fish. Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped chile and the fennel tops, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

PAN COOKED CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS, PANCETTA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Slice the chicken into 3 finger size pieces, but ensure that you keep it as 1 piece (fan it out). This will help to cook the chicken much faster. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a medium-sized frying pan, add some oil, and brown the chicken on all sides. Place the pancetta on top of the chicken and the asparagus around it, let it char a little, then put the pancetta on the bottom of the pan to crisp up and turn the chicken over. Turn up the heat, throw in the tomatoes, olives, basil, and a good knob of butter. Take off the heat once the butter has melted and add a splash of wine to make a sauce, squishing in a few of the tomatoes to finish it off.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH HARD-COOKED EGGS AND SESAME SALT

Steps:

• Place eggs in a heavy pot. Cover with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, immediately reduce to a bare simmer, and cook eggs 9 minutes. Crack the shells and put in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread asparagus on a large baking sheet. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, and transfer to a platter.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the black and white sesame seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and toss with coarse sea salt.
• Peel the eggs and finely chop. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet and cook until it starts to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped eggs.
• To serve, spoon the egg mixture over the asparagus, then sprinkle with sesame salt and chives.

GLAZED COOKED AND RAW ASPARAGUS WITH BUTTER AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• To cook the asparagus: Using kitchen string, tie the asparagus spears together in bunches of five. Bring a large pot of water, with the salt, to a rapid boil. Plunge in the asparagus bunches and cook until the tip of a knife can pierce a stalk without resistance, about 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus and pat the bunches dry, then carefully untie the strings.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in each of two large skillets over medium heat (if you have just one large frying pan, cook in two batches). When the butter is white and bubbly, lay the asparagus in the pans in a single layer. Roll the stalks around so that each gets well covered with butter and cook for 2 minutes or so, until they take on a shiny, "gilded" look. Sprinkle on the Parmesan and remove from the heat.
• To finish the dish: Divide the asparagus among four warmed serving dishes, then scatter the chopped asparagus tips over the cooked asparagus. Sprinkle a pinch of freshly ground pepper over each serving, then drizzle 1 teaspoon of chilled olive oil in a thin filament around the edge of each plate. Serve immediately.
• Variations: Instead of drizzling olive oil onto the serving plates, substitute a thin filament of highly reduced pan drippings from a roast, punctuated around each plate by 6 tiny Niçoise olives. Or garnish each plate with 4 fresh morel mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter with minced shallots.

ASPARAGUS THREE WAYS: RAW, COOKED, PURéED

Steps:

• Snap off ends of asparagus stalks where they break naturally. Discard ends. Peel asparagus. Select 16 of the most uniform and thickest spears and set aside. Cut remaining stalks in half, place in a saucepan of well-salted water and simmer until very tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and purée in food processor or blender. You should have about 1 1/4 cups.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly butter 4 small round ovenproof containers, preferably 3- to 4-ounce size. Porcelain ramekins or custard cups, heatproof glass bowls or tiny nonstick muffin or dariole molds can be used.
• Combine 2/3 cup purée with egg and egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to buttered molds. Place molds in a baking dish, and add simmering water to come halfway up sides of molds. Bake 45 minutes or until custards are set and surface is fairly firm to the touch. Remove from oven, leaving molds in water bath.
• While custards bake, cut a 2-inch-long piece from the tip of each reserved asparagus stalk. Cut each tip piece in half lengthwise, place in a saucepan of salted water, bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, and set aside on absorbent paper.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave 4 or 5 ribbons lengthwise from remaining pieces of stalk, leaving center portion intact. Place ribbons in a bowl of ice water. Mince centers no larger than peppercorns. Fold minced asparagus into remaining purée, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Beat vinegar and oil together but not enough to emulsify completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add truffles, olive paste or balsamic vinegar, and stir lightly to combine but not blend thoroughly. Vinaigrette should remain somewhat broken.
• To serve, spoon asparagus purée with minced raw asparagus in a circle in center of each of 4 large salad plates. Unmold custards on top of purée. Surround each with 8 cooked halved asparagus tips, cut side down, like spokes of a wheel. Drain raw asparagus ribbons and pat dry. Scatter over cooked tips, and pose one that's nicely curled on each custard. Drizzle vinaigrette on plate around asparagus.

ASPARAGUS WITH SOFT-COOKED EGGS AND BROWN-BUTTER HOLLANDAIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In pie-plate, toss bread cubes w/ olive oil & season w/ salt. Bake for 8 mins, or until golden brown. Let cool completely. Transfer bread cubes to sturdy, plastic bag & crush them w/ rolling pin until coarse crumbs form. Reduce oven temp to 350°. Meanwhile, bring large, deep skillet of salted H2O to boil. Add asparagus & boil until just tender, about 5 mins. Drain asparagus. Transfer asparagus to large gratin dish. Bring med saucepan of H2O to boil. Add eggs & boil over mod heat for 5 min. Pour off H2O & gently shake saucepan to crack egg shells. Fill saucepan w/ ice H2O & let eggs cool for 5 mins, drain. Carefully shell eggs & transfer to plate. In small saucepan, cook butter over med heat until it smells like roasted hazelnuts & milk solids are lightly browned, about 7 min. Remove pan from heat & let brown butter cool slightly. Bring med saucepan of H2O to simmer over mod heat. In blender, combine egg yolks & 1 1/2 T hot H2O; blend for 2 secs. W/ blender on med speed, gradually add hot brown butter, a few drops @ a time at 1st & then in thin stream, until fully incorporated. Add any browned bits from bottom of pan, then add lemon juice. Season hollandaise w/ salt & pepper & pinch of cayenne. Reheat asparagus in oven. One by 1, carefully lower peeled whole eggs into hot H2O in med saucepan & warm just until heated through, about 1 min. Meanwhile, arrange 4 of the asparagus spears on ea of 4 plates. Pat eggs dry & set 1 on top of ea plate of asparagus. Spoon hollandaise over eggs & asparagus, sprinkle w/ crushed croutons & serve right away. MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through transfering asparagus to gratin dish up to 1 day ahead. Keep the bread crumbs in an airtight container. Cover the cooked asparagus w/ plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight. ACTIVE: 40 MIN; TOTAL: 1 HR

PAN COOKED CHICKEN WIHT ASPARAGUS, PANCETTA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• 1. Slice the chicken into 3 finger size pieces, but ensure that you keep it as 1 piece (fan it out). This will help to cook the chicken much faster. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat a medium-sized frying pan, add some oil, and brown the chicken on all sides. Place the pancetta on top of the chicken and the asparagus around it, let it char a little, then put the pancetta on the bottom of the pan to crisp up and turn the chicken over. Turn up the heat, throw in the tomatoes, olives, basil, and a good knob of butter. Take off the heat once the butter has melted and add a splash of wine to make a sauce, squishing in a few of the tomatoes to finish it off.

LOBSTER AND ASPARAGUS SOFT COOKED EGGS WITH OYSTER CAVA CREAM (REVUELTO DE LANGOSTA)

Steps:

• Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and heat until it no longer bubbles. Add shallot, lobster and green asparagus and gently warm through. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a small mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. Incorporate parsley and chives, and season, to taste, with kosher salt and black pepper. Add eggs to saute pan and gently scramble eggs until just barely cooked.
• On a 10-inch plate, pour eggs into a 5-inch diameter ring mold and fold the lobster mixture in. Mixture should be very soft. Garnish with toast and oyster cava cream.
• In a medium saucepot sweat the shallots and garlic until translucent. Add Cava and reduce to 1 cup. Add the heavy cream, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer cream until nap stage (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon). Cool for about 5 minutes. Puree cream in a blender and pass through a chinois. Season with kosher salt, to taste. Store cream refrigerated in a sealed plastic container for up to 3 days.
• Just before serving, reheat cream in a small sauce pot, adding additional heavy cream to return sauce to nap stage. Add shucked oysters, including oyster liquor, and gently poach oysters in cream. Add chives and reseason with kosher salt, to taste.

COOKED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse asparagus spears.
• Place 1/8 cup of water in an 11" by 7" pyrex baking pan.
• Break off tough stems and place spears in pan in alernating order with the larger pieces at the outside.
• Cook for minimum amount of time, based on your cooking guide (I am lucky, my 20 year plus oven has an autocook setting that I can use to cook things like asparagus along with many other things.) When finshed splash with a small amount of fresh (not re-consituted) lemon juice.

PERFECTLY COOKED ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In the meantime, "trim" each spear by grasping both ends and gently bending until it snaps in half. (You might lose more of the stalk with the thicker ones, but you won't lose the tender part anyway so it's OK.).
• Spread the tender top halves in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet; discard the woody stalks.
• Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top (a tablespoon or two) and add garlic.
• Season lightly with salt and red pepper flakes; season liberally with the black pepper.
• Toss to coat.
• Cook in the preheated over for 10-15 minutes or until asparagus is bright green.

RAW & COOKED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON & PARMESAN BUTTER

Steps:

• Trim about two thirds of the asparagus to get rid of any woody ends, then set aside. Peel the remaining into ribbons using a vegetable peeler and tip into a bowl.
• Gently heat the butter, lemon zest and juice and lots of black pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in half the parmesan and keep warm.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the trimmed asparagus for about 2 mins until just cooked. Drain and tip into the bowl with the asparagus ribbons. Toss everything with the buttery sauce and the remaining parmesan. Season to taste, then serve.