Asparagus is the perfect starter. Simple and quick to cook, tasty and light in the mouth, with asparagus, you can continue your meal with pleasure. Adding a vinaigrette to the plate is excellent, but why not dare to spruce it up a little more?
Cooking asparagus, child's play
Tied in bunches or loose, the asparagus is cooked in boiling water for 10 minutes, otherwise, 7 minutes in steam to preserve its texture and nutrients. Finally, if you have patience and are looking for crispy asparagus, they can be cooked in the oven for around thirty minutes, sprinkled with a little garlic and olive oil. How do you make sure asparagus is ready? Check with the tip of a knife that their flesh is soft enough to be cut. In this way, you are free to extend or shorten the cooking, depending on whether you prefer to eat them tender or al dente.
What sauce for my asparagus?
Anchovy vinaigrette
Asparagus with vinaigrette is a safe bet, the classic preparation of this vegetable. What if you prepared an anchovy vinaigrette as a change from the classic vinaigrette? For four people, mix four anchovy fillets with a cut garlic clove, a hard-boiled egg and seven tablespoons of olive oil. Pour over the asparagus and, why not, sprinkle a little brewer's yeast over everything.
Asparagus in zabaglione
For a well-thought-out recipe, let's wow our taste buds with the preparation of green asparagus, anise sabayon, verbena, lemon and old mimolette. Zabaglione sauce, prepared with eggs, is renowned for its sweet notes and its texture between creamy and foamy. Its advantage? It brings consistency and character to the plate.
Asparagus in Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise sauce should not be reserved for preparing eggs Benedict. Change things up and make this nice thick sauce for asparagus. For four people, two egg yolks, 150 g of butter, salt and a tablespoon of lemon juice will be enough. First, whisk the egg yolks with 1 tbsp. tablespoon of water. Incorporate the butter in small pieces until the texture is velvety. Add the lemon juice while whisking. Once the mixture is firm, pour over the asparagus.
Asparagus and lemon zest
For a quick asparagus preparation without the slightest hassle, opt for lemon zest. For a beautiful presentation, place a few pieces of lemon peel on top and serve.
Asparagus: to sprinkle on everything!
Parmesan, pine nuts, crushed nuts, raisins or brewer's yeast, let your imagination run wild. All of these suggestions are the same, regardless of the sauce poured on the asparagus or the way it is prepared. Depending on the ingredient, each will bring its crunch, malty or sweet taste, to enhance any asparagus preparation. Guaranteed success!
Ideas for garnishing asparagus without the hassle
Prepare the asparagus with egg
A perfect pairing to enjoy asparagus? The egg. In an omelette, perfect egg or simply crumbled on top of the asparagus, you will enjoy it.
Asparagus in an omelet
While the asparagus is cooking, prepare an omelette as a side dish. Once cooked, add the asparagus, cut or not, to the preparation of the omelette in the pan. Mix everything together and your eggs will bind to the asparagus. Enough to create a single flavor.
Asparagus and its poached egg
A little vinegar, water, an egg and you have a poached egg. Place on some asparagus stacked on the plate to melt your heart. By delicately piercing it with the blade of the knife, the yolk of the egg will flow onto the asparagus. As for the white, it will bring a surprising texture to that of the asparagus. Once the technique of preparing the poached egg has been acquired, that's it. For the less motivated, a hard-boiled egg also works! Or why not crumble it and thus ensure perfect distribution of the egg on the asparagus?
Asparagus sprinkled with crumbled egg
The recipe from childhood: a few asparagus, crumbled egg, a little salt, pepper and a drizzle of balsamic velvet vinegar. And yes, it doesn’t take much to be happy! To crumble the egg, first cook it for 10 minutes in boiling water. Shell it, then, on a plate and using a fork, crush it into crumbs, then add salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle everything over the asparagus, before pouring in a drizzle of vinegar.
Wrap the asparagus in bacon
An even quicker preparation than the previous ones: simply wrap the asparagus in fours (or more if desired) with one or two slices of grilled bacon. Then pour in a zabaglione sauce, sprinkle everything with parmesan, a little salt and it's deliciously ready.
Roast the asparagus with garlic
A no-brainer recipe that will delight your taste buds just as much: roasted asparagus with garlic. We know that garlic is an excellent flavor enhancer. For this preparation, chop it with a few shallots to vary the flavors and sprinkle everything over the asparagus drizzled with olive oil. Mix, bake for 30 minutes at 180° and it's ready!
The mozzarella pine nut combo on asparagus
Prepare “asparagus mozzarella,” such as a spring version of tomato mozzarella. Once the asparagus is ready and placed on the plate, place a nice ball of mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, vinegar and… pine nuts! A wonder.
