Springing into spring: spicy Asian asparagus

Yes, ragazzi, the long wait is over.  Asparagus are HERE.  Annalena found her first bunches on Friday last (five days from the date of this missive), and heard the stories.  Ah, the stories.  Lest you think Annalena is the craziest foodie out there, when she bought her asparagus, from Debbie the sword fighter, she heard of th two fistfights that had broken out already (it was 8:30 a.m.) over the Jersey grass. NOT because there was only one bunch left, but because , in both cases, two parties wanted the same bunch, and neither was going to compromise.

Really?  Annalena can understand fights about morel mushrooms (actually she can't), but fighting over a freakin bunch of ASPARAGUS?    Folks, can't we all get along?  Or at least get to the market earlier.

Well, in any event, Annalena got hers.  And she has gotten them several times since then.  In fact, the Guyman and Annalena will probably be eating asparagus in some form every day this week. And  it is the phrase "in some form"  which we address today.

There is nothing wrong, and everything right, with simple steamed asparagus, with a squeeze of lemon, or not.  In fact, that is what awaits Annalena in her lunch bag, as well as the Guyman.    There are times, and indeed you will feel them, when you will want to do "something different" with them.  And you will want to do it before their all too short season is over (because you are NOT going to buy Peruvian asparagus out of season, right carini?  You PROMISED Annalena, remember?).     So, when Annalena was preparing the menu for dinner last night, she checked her trove of asparagus recipes.  First, she was going to roast them, but then.... the meal she was preparing had a decided Asian slant to it,  and so, Asian asparagus it was.

This recipe is ridiculously easy.  The preparation may seem daunting.  It is not.  Trust Annalena on this.  Her recipe says that it takes 20 minutes.  It is more like 10, if you have your ingredients at hand.  So, let's begin.

You need a pound and a half of fresh asparagus for this.  This is slightly less than two standard bunches.  You may wind up with a little more, you may wind up with a little less, but plan on two farmers market sized bunches.  In Annalena's experience,  farmers' market asparagus do not admit of peeling, but there is a point where the farmers tie them together, at their base.  She takes a large knife, and cuts the asparagus here, and always has tender vegetables.  She commends this method to you.  Once you have done that, and either composted the ends, or saved them to make stock for rice or other dishes, take what you have left, and cut them into 1.5 -2 inch pieces.  Surgical precision, as is usually the case, is not necessary.

The other ingredients you will need, are very flexible. Annalena used the six dried red peppers her recipe called for.  This will lead to a very spicy dish.  If you do not have them, or do not want them, do not use them.  You also need a half teaspoon, or more, of a chili paste. Annalena had sricha, the wonderful Thai hot sauce on hand, and used a  full teaspoon.  Use less if you can't handle it, more if you can, but don't go overboard:  asparagus have a delicate taste.  You will also need to grate a hefty teaspoon of ginger, and an equal amount of garlic.

How do you grate garlic?  AH.  Annalena wondered.  She had her rasp grater for the ginger, and just took the garlic clove and used that.  WONDERFUL.  It was FABULOUSNESS ON FABULOUSNESS.  Why?  Because in grating a clove of garlic, you don't have to peel it.  The skin does not grate, and you have saved some time.


Yes, Annalena needs a life.    Chop up a fresh, hot pepper: be it jalapeno, serrano, or if you like to live dangerously, a habanero or scotch bonnet.

With respect to these hot peppers, ragazzi, keep in mind that you already  have the chili sauce, and the dried chilis.  Keep your palate in mind, not Annalena's, and use the quantity you think is right.

All of this is going to go into the cooked dish.  Apart from that, chop up half a bunch of cilantro, slice up three scallions , and  have a tablespoon of sesame seeds, and  a tablespoon of sesame oil ready.  Again, all of these are optional.  They are good, but if you don't have them, don't toss the recipe.

Here comes the cooking, and it's fast, and easy.  Put a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil in a big pan.  Use  high heat, and when the oil is hot, toss in the asparagus, and DO toss them.  Add the hot peppers if you are using them.  Cook this all for maybe two minutes, closer to one.  Add some salt and pepper.  Now add the chili paste, the ginger, the garlic, and the hot pepper.  Cook for no more than two more minutes.

Guess what?  Your cooking is done.  Seriously, it is.  Take those optional ingredients, and off the heat, toss them into your cooked asparagus.

If you have made up some rice , or even better, some coconut milk rice (how do you do THAT?  Well, Annalena is glad you asked:  take your rice cooking instructions, substitute half of the water with low fat coconut milk and cook away), you could very easily have a light meal.  Maybe some tofu on it, or some left over cooked duck, or anything you want.  If you're sticking to serious vegetarian, some chopped nuts would be good here, too.  (Most people overlook the fact that asparagus and nuts pair well together.  Annalena recommends pecans).

There you have it, ragazzi.  Something wonderful, something easy, something seasonal.  June is not here, but "May is bustin out all over."  The asparagus, the ramps, the rhubarb, they are all here now. Use em while you got em.

Next time around:  perhaps a new recipe to use salmoriglio sauce, or a recipe for shrimp.  OR, perhaps a recipe for pickled pineapple. What would i miei bambini wish to see?  Let Annalena know.  The early bird picks the recipe.