Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Furthermore, although fatter asparagus does have a thicker, more fibrous peel that
needs to be removed before cooking, it also has much more of the tender inner flesh as
well. The peel is thinner on slender asparagus, so it doesn't need to be removed, but the
juicy center portion is smaller, too. With fat asparagus, the peel is thicker and more fibrous
toward the bottom. So start peeling from the tip, using gentle pressure, and then gradually
increase the pressure toward the base. This will get rid of all the tough parts and leave
only the juicy core. On a related plumbing matter, no matter how big of a hurry you are in,
do not put those asparagus peels down the drain. Even if your garbage disposal will grind
glass, it will not break up asparagus peels.
Whether spears are fat or thin, you'll almost always need to trim their bases (the only
exceptions being if you buy asparagus that has already been cut - some stores do this for
you). The lower portion of all asparagus is tougher and stringier than the tips - so tough
and stringy, in fact, that it can't comfortably be eaten as it is. The conventional wisdom
for removing the tough part is to hold the tip of the asparagus in one hand and the base in
the other and bend the spear until it snaps. This wastes a lot of asparagus. Try it yourself:
snap some asparagus and then cook the supposedly woody end. You'll find that much of
what you would normally discard is edible - even delicious - down to the last inch and a
half or so. You're much better off simply trimming that portion with a knife. Don't be too
quick to discard the bases, especially if you're preparing a lot of asparagus. They may be
stringy, but they do have good flavor. Cook them in broth, puree them in a blender and
then run them through a strainer, and you'll have a very nice creamy asparagus soup. If
you're making a risotto with asparagus (something I highly recommend), save both the
bases and whatever peels you have. Add them to the simmering broth, and in 15 to 20
minutes it will be infused with asparagus flavor.
The choice of skinny or fat comes down to whether you're going to use the asparagus
as a vegetable or as an ingredient. On the one hand, if you're thinking of a plain platter
stacked high with asparagus that has been simply boiled or steamed and lightly dressed
with, say, a brightly colored sauce mimosa, the only choice is thick spears. And if it's the
first asparagus of the season, there should be so much that it makes up the whole dinner.
Properly cooked - which is to say long enough that the asparagus is tender all the way
through but quickly enough that the flavor and color haven't begun to fade - fat spears are
incomparably rich and juicy. The texture is almost like a vegetable mousse, with just a
slight resistance to the tooth. On the other hand, if you're planning a dish that will include
asparagus along with other ingredients - a risotto or a frittata, for example - go ahead and
pick the thinnest spears you can find. They'll combine better with the other elements in the
dish, whereas the thick ones might dominate. Since it hasn't been peeled, skinny asparagus
