Kelly Rossiter
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All of the asparagus recipes that I've given you have had the vegetable pretty much front and centre. Even though it's a star, sometimes you just want it as a side dish. Here are two really simple ways to serve up asparagus with little fuss. Both of these recipes can be served hot or room temperature. Either would be great on a picnic, or as part of a garden brunch. I usually figure about 4-5 spears of asparagus per person as a rule of thumb for how much to cook.
Roast Asparagus
I love roasted asparagus because it really intensifies the flavour. Preheat the oven to 450F. Break off the tough bottom inch of the asparagus. Lay the it out on a baking sheet without crowding it together. Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus and roll them around to cover. Bake for 8 minutes. You can sprinkle a little lemon juice over it if you like as well as a bit of sea salt.
Asparagus with Aioli
I usually boil my asparagus in a frying pan, because my steamer is kept in an inconvenient place and I'm usually too lazy to haul it out. As with the roast asparagus, break off the bottom inch. Bring about an inch of water to the boil in a frying pan that will hold the asparagus without having to break it in half. Place the asparagus in the water and cook until tender. If your asparagus is thin and young, it will only take 4 or 5 minutes. If it's thicker or a bit tougher it may take more like 8 minutes. Don't overcook it, because there is nothing more unappetizing than mushy asparagus. Once it is cooked drain into a colander and then rinse with cold water otherwise it will continue cooking. You can use as much or as little garlic as you like. My son made this one, so it was pretty garlicky. I didn't have any dry mustard, so he tossed in a teaspoon of Dijon.
1 egg
1 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash cayenne
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Combine the egg, cayenne, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the oil in the container of a blender or food processor. Turn on the machine and with it running add the oil in a thin, steady stream. If the mixture is thicker than you like, add a a little warm water, with the machine still running, or stir in a little cream or sour cream by hand.
From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Difficulty Level: Easy
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