Lemon Asparagus
As a chef, it is always fun to work with ingredients that can be used in a multitude of cooking applications - asparagus is one of these ingredients. You can roast, grill, saute or even deep fry asparagus. You can also eat it raw, as I often times like to shave it thin and add it to salad. There are literally a million recipes for asparagus, but my Lemon Asparagus recipe is probably one of my favorite ways of cooking it. This is a very simple recipe with just a few ingredients, and cooks within minutes.
Unconventional Cooking Method
For this Lemon Asparagus recipe, once the asparagus are washed and cut, I pat them dry with a towel. I want them as dry as possible before I blister the asparagus in a hot pan. The asparagus will go into the pan without any oil at first, dry roasting for about a minute before adding oil and seasonings. I like to use this method because it allows the asparagus to blister up as soon as the oil hits the hot pan, which creates a depth of flavor and texture.
Lemon - Front and Center
There's a reason why this dish is called Lemon Asparagus, as the application of lemon is used in three different ways.
First, with a potato peeler, I peel a couple of strips of the lemon zest (yellow layer only, without the white part of the peel). Zest is where a ton of citrus flavor lives. I cut the lemon zest length-wise in a chiffonade style cut. This will serve as a nice garnish and a fresh punch to the cooked asparagus.
Second, while the asparagus is sautéing in the pan, I incorporate lemon zest into the dish by zesting some of the lemon over the pan with a microplane. A few strokes on the microplane should do.
Lastly, right before the asparagus is done cooking, I squeeze half of a lemon onto the asparagus and give it a toss.
Tender asparagus with a fresh punch of lemon and tarragon is a wonderfully tasty combination, and makes a perfect side dish to any meal.
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 16 onces trimmed)
- 1 lemon (for chiffonade zest, microplane zest and juice of half a lemon)
- 1 tbsp tarragon (chopped)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Wash and trim the asparagus. To determine where to trim, hold one asparagus with your fingers on both ends and bend until it snaps. The snapping point divides the tender delicious part from the fibery part. You can then take the delicious part and use it as a guide to trim the rest of the asparagus. Make sure to also pat the asparagus dry with a towel to remove any moisture from the wash.
Chop the tarragon and set it aside.
Use a potato peeler to peel a couple of strips of lemon zest. We only want the yellow part. If you see any white parts of the peel, use a sharp knife to carefully cut off. Take the strips of zest and cut them lengthwise. This will be used to garnish the cooked asparagus.
Heat up a pan to hot, but do not add any oil just yet. Add the asparagus in and let it dry-roast for about a minute. Then drizzle the olive oil in. When the oil hits the pan, the asparagus should begin to blister. Add salt and pepper.
Using the same lemon, zest it over the pan with a microplane. Just a few strokes of zest should do. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of half of it onto the asparagus. Add the tarragon and give it a toss.
Plate the asparagus and top it with the chiffonade zest.
Enjoy!