ASPARAGUS PREPARATION OVER GRILL OR BOILED

Recipe-Ingrediants

Our favorite asparagus started to be cultivated in Greece around 1960. Before that, we knew wild asparagus that we would gather from nature, and we usually remember them in omelets, or combined with mushrooms.

In the market, we can find green asparagus, white asparagus, and purple asparagus. We love them not only for their wonderful taste but also for their abundance of beneficial properties. Asparagus is known to be anticarcinogenic, diuretic, memory-enhancing, and rich in vitamins such as vitamin B, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, carotene, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. It is also rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals, and in combination with potassium and vitamin E, it is an ally in anti-aging. It is also rich in dietary fiber, which helps with proper bowel function and aids in reduced fat absorption.

We can cook asparagus on the grill or in the oven (with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and olive oil). It can be used in soups, boiled, and added to salads, omelets, pasta dishes, or risotto. It can be served as an appetizer wrapped with cured meats (prosciutto, etc.), with meats (pork, chicken, beef, etc.), with fish, in pies, souffles, and tarts.

To prepare asparagus, it is necessary to follow a few steps. Rinse them with cold water and then, using a peeler, peel the asparagus from the middle down because the skin is fibrous and doesn't soften during cooking. Be careful with the tips as they are tender and delicate, so they might break. Then, bend the bottom part of the asparagus, and it will naturally snap where it needs to.

If you want to boil them (for salads, for example), boil them in a small saucepan or pot standing upright, with the tips outside the water. While the asparagus boils, their body cooks in the water, and the tips, being sensitive and delicate, are essentially cooked by the steam.