Asparagus (Asperges)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart (7.5-liter) wide pot
• •Cotton kitchen twine
• •Paring knife or swivel vegetable peeler
• •Wire skimmer or long tongs
• •Long oval platter and clean lint-free napkin

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim with care

   Rinse the asparagus quickly in cold water without soaking it, then inspect every tip and stalk. Cut away the dry bases so the spears are an even length. Peel white asparagus from just below the tip to the base, removing every fibrous strip; peel only the tough lower third of thick green stalks, and leave fine green asparagus alone. Sort the finished spears into groups of equal thickness, because equal thickness, not equal length, gives you even cooking.

   Use a vegetable peeler with light strokes and support each stalk against the board. White asparagus snaps easily when held in the air.
2. 2

   Tie even bundles

   Divide the asparagus into four small bundles, keeping each thickness together. Tie every bundle loosely with cotton kitchen twine in two places, once near the cut ends and once below the tips. The twine should hold the spears without biting into them. These bundles aren't decoration; they let you remove each grade the instant it is ready, with the tips intact.

3. 3

   Ready the water

   Bring the 4 quarts of water to a full boil in a wide 8-quart pot, then add the salt. The generous quantity matters because it returns to the boil quickly after the asparagus goes in and carries away any harsh edge. Line a long platter with a clean, lint-free napkin. If your variety is known to run bitter, set the bowl of cool fresh water beside the stove before you cook.

4. 4

   Cook at a boil

   Lower the bundles gently into the boiling salted water and let the water return promptly to a lively boil, strong enough to cook cleanly but not so violent that it beats the tips apart. Begin testing tiny Parisian spears after 2 minutes, slender green spears after 4 minutes, thick green spears after 6 minutes, and peeled white asparagus after 10 minutes. Lift each bundle when a paring knife enters the thickest part with slight resistance and the tip bends without collapsing, usually 2 to 3 minutes for the smallest spears, 4 to 9 minutes for green asparagus, and 10 to 16 minutes for thick white asparagus. If the water cannot recover within a minute, the pot is crowded; lift half the bundles and cook them in a second round.

5. 5

   Correct any bitterness

   Cut one spear from a cooked bundle and taste it. If it has a distinct bitter finish, transfer that bundle immediately to the cool fresh water for 1 minute, changing the water once if the bitterness is strong. Ça se rattrape. Lift it as soon as the harsh edge recedes and drain it thoroughly; a long soak washes away the asparagus along with the bitterness. If the tested spear tastes clean, do not rinse the bundle.

6. 6

   Drain and serve

   Lift each bundle vertically and let it drain for 15 seconds, then lay it on the linen-lined platter. Snip and remove the twine without disturbing the tips, and arrange the spears with their heads aligned. The cloth is working equipment, not theater; it catches the water that would otherwise collect beneath the vegetable. Serve promptly, warm or at room temperature. Cooking well is not cooking fancy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Freshness is the first seasoning. Look for closed tips, firm stalks that feel crisp under the fingers, and cut ends that are moist rather than cracked. This dish truly needs the season; tired asparagus belongs in a soup, not presented whole.
• •Argenteuil asparagus is thick and pale, Lauris is prized as an early southern crop, and green Parisian asparagus may be very fine. Keep one variety and one thickness in each bundle, then trust the knife rather than forcing them onto a single cooking time.
• •Peel white asparagus generously. Its outer skin stays stringy after the heart turns tender, so timid peeling gives you a soft centre wrapped in thread. Thick green spears need attention only at the base.
• •The entry finishes the asparagus plainly on linen, with no added fat or flavoring. That restraint is deliberate: the method is a foundation, and the vegetable should first taste of itself.
• •For wine, a dry Muscat d'Alsace is a calm companion to asparagus, handling its green and faintly bitter notes without burying them under oak.

Advance Preparation

• •The asparagus can be trimmed and peeled up to 4 hours ahead. Wrap the cut ends in a damp towel, cover loosely, and refrigerate; tie the bundles shortly before cooking.
• •Cook as close to serving as possible. If the asparagus must wait for up to 20 minutes, drain it, remove the twine, and lay it flat on the linen at room temperature. Do not hold it in hot water, which softens the tips.
• •Refrigerate leftovers dry and covered for up to 2 days. Serve them cold or let them lose their chill naturally; boiling them again finishes what the first cooking began.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)