Archive for the ‘grilled vegetables’ Category
Grilled Asparagus Recipe
Posted on Apr 17, 2011 12:15:08 PM
Ok, I added the word “recipe” in the title for the sake of the long tail, but I have the feeling that calling these grilled asparagus a recipe is a bit of a stretch. But hei isn’t “less is more” the spirit of Cheese and Pears? Well, not always (I tend to like complicated stuff, check this Panettone recipe for example), but in this case we’re going back to simplicity.
Asparagus can be something exotic if you don’t live in a Mediterranean country (and Ireland could not be less Mediterranean), which means they can be expensive, but I won’t give up my grilled vegetables just yet (check my baked vegetables category for more stuff). I choose the green ones (well that’s not really a choice as Tesco only sells that type), but any type will be fine as long as they are not too thick.
As far as how to grill asparagus is concerned I don’t sweat it and use a classic old non-stick frying pan, as grilling asparagus on the grill will give the same resul and it will take a truckload or power. Of course if you have a proper charcoal grill use that by all means.
Here is what you need: Asparagus, salt and pepper.
Is that it? I told you, among the easy asparagus recipes this could be the easiest one. However, there is a slightly tricky part (thank goodness!)
While I tell you about that, put the pan on a high heat, and sprinkle some salt and pepper on it.
I already explained how to prepare asparagus in the asparagus frittata recipe, but here it is again how it works. The lower end of asparagus is harder than the upper part, also, the peel is chewy, so it needs to be grilled (or cooked) separately. This means you will have to break each asparagus in two. Where exactly is the (thin) line between the hard and the soft? Let nature decide: hold the asparagus ends with each hand and bend it, bend it, bend it until it breaks. That’ll be the point. It’s as easy as it looks, so easy to deserve probably the shortest YouTube video ever on how to break asparagus.
Now that you have all your asparagus halved, take the lower ends and peel them, as they are good as the rest.
When the pan is nice and hot, add the asparagus, making sure they don’t stay one on top of the other, sprinkle some more salt and pepper and grill for about 15 minutes or until tender enough. Shake the pan from time to time, to grill them evenly, but also because doing that looks really cool.
