Deconstruction to a side dish: asparagus wrapped in prosciutto

Taking a break from the freezer clean out here, but we'll be back... That I promise.
A couple of nights ago, while preparing dinner, Annalena was faced with the "problem" that she loves to be faced with. And it can happen to you too, if you keep your fridge and pantry well stocked. (Of course, one of the downsides of such a kitchen is that your cats are in there, constantly, looking for tasties. I just pulled a huge lambchop bone from the teeth of a very upset cat. Life is a bitch for all species).
Digressing again. Admit it, that's why you're here. Ok, onto the dish. We were having a meal of monkfish, asparagus, and rice . I had the components in front of me, and wanted to add "something more." Sitting in the fridge was some left over prosciutto di san daniele, and I thought right away of wrapping the fish in the ham, and cooking it that way. (Annalena is a big fan of anything wrapped in prosciutto. In an example of what is perhaps the ultimate in pork overkill, her friend Dana, in San Francisco, wraps a pork chop in the stuff before she cooks it. MORE MORE MORE).

Well, here's the thing about wrapping that fish: I was not sure I wanted that much prosciutto in the meal, and I wasn't sure I could cook it properly. BUT... those asparagus? Hmmmm. And I was thinking of a dish that I have had, as a lunch dish: polenta, with an overlay of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, with fontina cheese melted over it.

Now THAT's overkill. So, I plunged ahead, and "deconstructed" that dish to get a side dish. And here it is. It's really good. I think you can make this as a larger portion and call it lunch, or you could just figure out the dish above and do that one yourself too.

This is one of the ultimate "now, why didn't I think of that? " dishes . Well, now you don't have to. Just make it.

Start with a pound of asparagus. I use the "snap test" for getting rid of inedible parts: I put the head in one set of fingers, the other end in the other set, and bend. Where it snaps, it snaps, and I dump the bottom part, or use it for stock.

Cook those asparagus in boiling salted water, for no more than 2-3 minutes. Drain em, and let them dry.

Meanwhile, get your prosciutto, of any type , or any thinly sliced ham ready. Wrap a thin slice around groups of 2 or 3 asparagus at a time. Since Annalena failed her holiday wrapping exams, this is not so easy. I have found it simpler to put one end of the ham in between the asparagus to hold it there, and then to just spin it around them.

When you're done, get a shallow pan ready and put a few tablespoons of oil, any kind, into it. When it's hot, add the asparagus and listen to the ham sizzle. When the sizzling gets a bit quieter, turn them around and cook the other side. It won't take more than five minutes. The ham will crisp up and the asparagus may brown a bit.

Drain the critters on paper towels, and then just put em on the plate with whatever else you're serving or just eat them right there.

I imagine you can do these with the white asparagus my friend Frank, the patron saint of tannins, truly adores. I am not a fan of them, and they are not that easy to find in fresh form anyway, but if you like, well, have at it. Indeed, I can imagine a combination of a thick white asparagus, and two green ones, with the pink ham around it for those of you with a truly visual sense of food. However you like them, Annalena just wants you to cook