Ingredients
1-2 bunches of asparagus, woody bottoms snapped off.
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Pepin's All About Mustard (Pictured)
2T Dijon mustard 3T canola oil 2T apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Optional but recommended 2T crushed walnuts |
Contessa's Pure and Simple
Olive oil Hawaiian salt Black pepper Parmesano-Reggiano cheese Optional swap Za'atar instead of salt |
Indulgence from the Boss BBQ
Hawaiian salt and black pepper, to taste, take a light touch. 2T gorgonzola cheese 2T butter, softened to room temperature Juice of a lemon 2T olive oil 1t chopped fresh basil 3 cloves garlic, minced |
What To Do
Pepin's All Mustard
Crush walnuts if you are using them and set aside.
Whisk together mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, until it's almost uniform liquid, i.e., oil doesn't separate from the mustard/vinegar. AKA emulsification for the scientists out there.
Like the Contessa's version, peel the tough skins off the lower power of the asparagus stalks. Put asparagus on a plate in a single layer and cover with wet-but-not-dripping-wet paper towel. Microwave on high in 30-60 second increments until the asparagus is barely done. They will be bright green and still crisp. Do in batches if necessary because it is important that the asparagus is microwaved in a single layer.
Transfer to a serving plate if you need to. Drizzle the mustard sauce over the cooked asparagus and garnish with walnuts.
Crush walnuts if you are using them and set aside.
Whisk together mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, until it's almost uniform liquid, i.e., oil doesn't separate from the mustard/vinegar. AKA emulsification for the scientists out there.
Like the Contessa's version, peel the tough skins off the lower power of the asparagus stalks. Put asparagus on a plate in a single layer and cover with wet-but-not-dripping-wet paper towel. Microwave on high in 30-60 second increments until the asparagus is barely done. They will be bright green and still crisp. Do in batches if necessary because it is important that the asparagus is microwaved in a single layer.
Transfer to a serving plate if you need to. Drizzle the mustard sauce over the cooked asparagus and garnish with walnuts.
Contessa's Pure and Simple
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
After snapping off the bottoms, slice the bottom of the asparagus stalks on a slight diagonal to give them a good clean edge. This is really for aesthetic purposes, and it doesn't take too long.
Use a vegetable peeler to take remove some of the tougher skins on the lower portion of the asparagus stalks. The vegetable peeler is also very good trick and a good test to make sure your asparagus is fresh. Soggy stems will not hold up to the peeler.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and use your clean hands to swish around to coat all stalks. Sprinkle Very Lightly with salt or Za'atar because you'll be adding parmesan to it. Sprinkle more liberally with pepper.
Roast for about 10 minutes. Take the pan of asparagus out, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over everything, and roast for another 2-3 minutes, depending on how quickly the cheese melts. Transfer to a serving plate or eat off the pan.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
After snapping off the bottoms, slice the bottom of the asparagus stalks on a slight diagonal to give them a good clean edge. This is really for aesthetic purposes, and it doesn't take too long.
Use a vegetable peeler to take remove some of the tougher skins on the lower portion of the asparagus stalks. The vegetable peeler is also very good trick and a good test to make sure your asparagus is fresh. Soggy stems will not hold up to the peeler.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and use your clean hands to swish around to coat all stalks. Sprinkle Very Lightly with salt or Za'atar because you'll be adding parmesan to it. Sprinkle more liberally with pepper.
Roast for about 10 minutes. Take the pan of asparagus out, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over everything, and roast for another 2-3 minutes, depending on how quickly the cheese melts. Transfer to a serving plate or eat off the pan.
Indulgence from the Boss BBQ
Stir gorgonzola cheese, butter and lemon juice to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Whisk oil, basil and garlic together. Coat asparagus with mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until charred on all sides, turning occasionally. Top with a bit of Gorgonzola butter and serve warm.
Stir gorgonzola cheese, butter and lemon juice to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Whisk oil, basil and garlic together. Coat asparagus with mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until charred on all sides, turning occasionally. Top with a bit of Gorgonzola butter and serve warm.
Notes and Talking Story
- What I like about all of these is that the asparagus remains front and center, even the Boss BBQ gorgonzola cheese version.
- Contessa's Pure and Simple is a great weekday option, and swapping in Za'atar gives the whole dish a little more oomph.
- Pepin's All Mustard is where I took the most liberties (Je suis desolee, Monsieur Pepin).
- Microwave vs. double boiler steam for cooking. Why? It's much faster with fewer dishes, and gives a great result. Plus I'm lazy.
- Replaced walnut oil with crushed walnuts. We have a nut allergy in the house, so making this optional also makes it edible for all.
- Used apple cider instead of white wine vinegar, because I don't usually have both in the house, and I like a slightly sweeter vinegar.
