Asparagus Trio
SKU:
Three fast and easy options for dressing up asparagus.
Adapted from Jacques Pepin, the Barefoot Contessa, and my former boss.
Ingredients
Pepin
Venuti
Hawaiian salt and black pepper
1/8 cup gorgonzola cheese
2T butter, softened to room temperature
Juice of a lemon
A bunch of asparagus, trimmed
2T olive oil
1t chopped fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Hawaiian salt and black pepper
1/8 cup gorgonzola cheese
2T butter, softened to room temperature
Juice of a lemon
A bunch of asparagus, trimmed
2T olive oil
1t chopped fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Contessa
1-2 bunches of aparagus
In this case, thick stalks are better
Olive oil
Hawaiian salt
Black Pepper
Parmesano-Reggiano cheese <--Omit for VEGAN VERSION
1-2 bunches of aparagus
In this case, thick stalks are better
Olive oil
Hawaiian salt
Black Pepper
Parmesano-Reggiano cheese <--Omit for VEGAN VERSION
1 piece of the freshest ahi you can get
¼ to ½ of a red onion, slices as thinly as possible
2-3 stalks of green onion, finely chopped
Roasted sesame seeds
¼ to ½ of a red onion, slices as thinly as possible
2-3 stalks of green onion, finely chopped
Roasted sesame seeds
What To Do
Venuti
Stir gorgonzola cheese, butter and lemon juice to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Whisk oil and basil 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.
Stir gorgonzola cheese, butter and lemon juice to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Whisk oil and basil 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.
Contessa
Snap the rough bottoms of the aspagus stems off. Then slice them slightly on a diagonal to give them a good clean edge. This is really for aesthetic purposes, but it doesn't take too long.
User a vegetable peeler to take remove some of the tougher skins on the bottom. The vegetable peeler is a very good trick and a good test to make sure your asparagus is fresh. Soggy stems will not hold up to the peeler.
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus flat on a pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle with salt because you'll be adding parmesan to it. Sprinkle more liberally with pepper.
Snap the rough bottoms of the aspagus stems off. Then slice them slightly on a diagonal to give them a good clean edge. This is really for aesthetic purposes, but it doesn't take too long.
User a vegetable peeler to take remove some of the tougher skins on the bottom. The vegetable peeler is a very good trick and a good test to make sure your asparagus is fresh. Soggy stems will not hold up to the peeler.
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus flat on a pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle with salt because you'll be adding parmesan to it. Sprinkle more liberally with pepper.
Notes and Talking Story
- Really Fresh fish, weirdly enough, will not smell 'fishy', so this is a way you can use to gauge freshness.
- Best to buy a chunk of ahi rather than pre-sliced. Air degrades fish pretty quickly into a mushy mess.
- My poke doesn't use inamona (smashed kukui nuts) because not everyone tolerates this well, and it's darn near impossible to get outside of Hawaii. If you have it and add it, use sparingly because it also has medicinal uses as a very effective laxative.
- I also don't add limu/ogo (seaweed) because it is very hard to find.
Venuti
This is from the one and only BBQ I’ve ever been invited to at my boss' house. I’ve only known him for more than 20 years. What’s not to love about asparagus, butter, garlic and gorgonzola cheese?
Simple grilled asparagus is also quite good, and not as much of an indulgence--olive oil, Hawaiian salt and black pepper.
This is from the one and only BBQ I’ve ever been invited to at my boss' house. I’ve only known him for more than 20 years. What’s not to love about asparagus, butter, garlic and gorgonzola cheese?
Simple grilled asparagus is also quite good, and not as much of an indulgence--olive oil, Hawaiian salt and black pepper.
Contessa
Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out and grate or sprinkle Parmesan cheese over. Return to the oven for 2-3 more minutes, depending on how quickly the cheese melts. Transfer to a serving platter, or eat off the pan.
NOTES:
1. The Contessa's original recipe directs a 20 minute roasting time. I like a little crunch to the asparagus so I reduced the time a bit, even with chunky-stemmed aspragus.
Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out and grate or sprinkle Parmesan cheese over. Return to the oven for 2-3 more minutes, depending on how quickly the cheese melts. Transfer to a serving platter, or eat off the pan.
NOTES:
1. The Contessa's original recipe directs a 20 minute roasting time. I like a little crunch to the asparagus so I reduced the time a bit, even with chunky-stemmed aspragus.
One of my favorite cookbook writers Ina Garten, aka, the Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes and cookbooks are unpretentious and pretty simple. The sub-title of one of her cookbooks is "Easy ideas and recipes that make everyone feel like family." Spot-on.
This is a lighter touch that the Gorgonzola Grilled Asparagus, and is best done in the oven, rather than the grill. With 4 simple spices that I actually always have in-house, it's no-stress veggies for dinner.
This is a lighter touch that the Gorgonzola Grilled Asparagus, and is best done in the oven, rather than the grill. With 4 simple spices that I actually always have in-house, it's no-stress veggies for dinner.