Cook Like a Chef: Asparagus

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 26, 2016

‘Tis the season for asparagus.

It’s available year-round these days, but spring is the optimum time of year for asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), a member of the lily family.

If you’re in the habit of cooking the popular green stalks the same way, it’s time to cook like a chef to get the most flavor and the best texture out of this vegetable.

Chef Thor Erickson of the Cascade Culinary Institute will take us through the steps to prepare steamed and raw asparagus. You can also watch him demonstrating his techniques in a video online at www.bendbulletin.com.

The key to perfect asparagus is not cooking it too long.

It takes some practice to get there. Eat asparagus in its raw state and see what the texture is, and then when you cook it, if it tastes too raw, cook it a little bit more next time,” Chef Erickson said.

Pick & Prep

Asparagus comes in skinny and thick sizes. Erickson prefers to cook thin asparagus.

“I look for the size of pencils, those are the most tender,” he said.

Steam It

To steam asparagus, take a medium-size pot and put about 2 inches of water in it. Put a steamer basket inside the pot and bring the water to a boil. Put the asparagus in the basket, and put a lid on the pot.

“For really thin asparagus, you’re going to steam for 2 minutes; for thicker, it’s 3 minutes,” Erickson said.

His favorite way to jazz up simple steamed asparagus is to drizzle it with a little olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Steamed for salads

To add steamed asparagus to a salad, it’s easy. Get a big bowl of ice water ready, and after the asparagus has steamed for 1 to 2 minutes, plunge the spears into the ice water bath.

“That’s called ‘shocking’ it. It stops it from cooking any longer, and it’ll be cold, but cooked properly. Shocking maintains the texture and color — so beautifully bright green. Leave it in the ice water for about 3 minutes, and then take it out and let it drain. Pat it dry, and now the sky’s the limit,” he said.

Cut it into little rounds and add it to a salad, or a pasta dish. Serve it as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.

Raw in a Salad

Asparagus is delicious when it’s prepared raw, in a salad.

“If you have a mandolin or if you’re very good with a sharp knife, you could just cut it perpendicular and take little round shavings off each stalk. Or, a little easier — after washing it, take a vegetable peeler down the spears and take ribbons off,” he said.

Toss the raw asparagus rounds or ribbons with any kind of vinaigrette.

We hope you enjoy fresh asparagus season. Cook some like a chef by trying a new way of preparing one of spring’s most versatile vegetables, and garnish your dish with something you’ve never tried before.

— Reporter: ahighberger@ mac.com