White asparagus

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

this sounds like redneck sous vide.

Sous vide? And what makes it redneck? The ziplock bags?

As for the three hours, white asparagus isn't any tougher than green asparagus is it?

Yeah, the ziplocks make the thing redneck. Ask Achatz if he's doing his sous vided caramelized dairy thing in a ziplock and you're sure to get a mind ful. I for one love rednecks, so don't take it as a slam.

[maggiethecat]

for fun you could marinate rhubarb in a similar fashion but add honey, lime zest and juice along with minced ginger and use it as a counterpoint to the white asparagus

Interesting idea. Rhubarb!

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to just below a simmer

peel asparagus and trim bottoms (reserve for later use)

season asparagus with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, olive oil, blanched lemon zest, lemon juice

place in a ziploc bag and suck the air out of it

place in another bag for added strength

place asparagus in the pot of water just below a simmer

cook for three hours, remove bag from water and let rest

serve hot from the bag or let cool and serve chilled, let them cool in the sealed bag they will pull in their own juices

while asparagus cooks, sweat asparagus trim seasoned with salt and sugar, add vermouth, cook out alcohol, add lemon juice then strain

taste broth and emulsify with butter or olive oil to add body to dress the asparagus or use the liquid to poach a piece of fish to serve with the asparagus

twodogs

Thats fascinating. Why does it cook for so long? What happens to it after three ours? What effect does the sous-vide have?

J

Hey, no matter what hip technique you use if you cook asparagus for three hours--I don't care if youre using stalks the size of Kong's forearm---you're going to have soup. Can you coax more flavor out of vegetables with redneck sous vide? I say it's all smoke and mirrors...

[Katherine]

The few times I have tried white asparagus I have found it to be fairly bitter.

It is always like this or did I do something wrong in the cooking?

Brian

Where do you live? I understand white asparagus in the US is much different and not nearly as good as that you would find in Europe.

I enjoyed it in Spain, where they served it as a salad (greens optional) with equal parts mayonnaise on the side. (Espárragos con mayonesa)

Some people were able to finish the mayonnaise.

Edited April 25, 2003 by Katherine (log)

[guajolote]

What did you make beef boy?

[Hickory]

Where do you live?

Toronto

[twodogs]

asparagus white and green are two different aminals (well actually vegetables)

white asparagus has an undelying bitter quality which when cooking can be tamed and broght into balance with the rest of the vegetables flavor prophiles; thus we add sugar and citrus to the cooking medium to bring harmony within the vegetable.

with regards to the sous vide or "uncle bens" boil in a bag technique the asparagus will not turn to soup or mush if you watch and keep track of the waters temperature

when cooking in this manner the temperature cannot exceed 190 degrees, and i prefer cooking closer to 170 degrees

our cooking results which led to cooking in the bag is do to a need to concentrate flavor, have less clean up, allow the kitchen to work for us while we are doing other things

we also use water baths in ovens set at low temperature to cook for extended periods of time to create intensely flavored procucts from vegetables cooked twenty four hours, to fruits to meats and yoghurt

yes even yoghurt will caramelize and not curdle in a gentle environment over twenty four hours

time versus temperature if you can have your kitchen working twenty four hours a day rather than just the 15 while you are in it your productivity grows exponentially while your actual labor decreases allowing more time for research and creativity

cheers

[Belmont3]

The Spring Issue #68 of Art Culinaire has some great asparagus recipes, looking to do the Asparagus with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms and a Truffle Chive Fondue, tonight for dinner

[Schielke]

asparagus white and green are two different aminals (well actually vegetables)

white asparagus has an undelying bitter quality which when cooking can be tamed and broght into balance with the rest of the vegetables flavor prophiles; thus we add sugar and citrus to the cooking medium to bring harmony within the vegetable. 

with regards to the sous vide or "uncle bens" boil in a bag technique the asparagus will not turn to soup or mush if you watch and keep track of the waters temperature

when cooking in this manner the temperature cannot exceed 190 degrees, and i prefer cooking closer to 170 degrees

our cooking results which led to cooking in the bag is do to a need to concentrate flavor, have less clean up, allow the kitchen to work for us while we are doing other things

we also use water baths in ovens set at low temperature to cook for extended periods of time to create intensely flavored procucts from vegetables cooked twenty four hours, to fruits to meats and yoghurt

yes even yoghurt will caramelize and not curdle in a gentle environment over twenty four hours

time versus temperature  if you can have your kitchen working twenty four hours a day rather than just the 15 while you are in it your productivity grows exponentially while your actual labor decreases allowing more time for research and creativity

cheers

Cool, thanks for the recipe. I will try this out sometime.

Ben

[Jason Perlow]

On the recent episode of A Cook's Tour, Bourdain was seen eating them in San Sebastian, Spain in tapas form, breaded and fried into some kind of croquette, I think.

[docsconz]

Interesting recipes, twodogs. I'm looking forward to trying them.

On the simpler side, I had good luck this week peeling, cutting up and boiling white asparagus for about four minutes, pan-drying them and drizzling good EVOO and salt and pepper.

[Malawry]

So at today's farmer's market, I found something I hadn't seen before: purple asparagus. You know that purplish tinge green asparagus gets? This was entirely that purple color. Is this stuff any different from green asparagus in how it gets cooked? Anybody have any experience with it? I usually peel my green asparagus, should I peel the purple or will that get rid of the lovely color?

[fyfas]

So at today's farmer's market, I found something I hadn't seen before: purple asparagus. You know that purplish tinge green asparagus gets? This was entirely that purple color. Is this stuff any different from green asparagus in how it gets cooked? Anybody have any experience with it? I usually peel my green asparagus, should I peel the purple or will that get rid of the lovely color?

Just a note on purple asparagus. Last year I bought some, too, and learned the hard way that cooking eliminates the purple and they become green. Naive on my part and though I've asked plenty no-one has offered any way to use them purple but raw.

Three hour cooking of white asparagus posted above, by the way, sounds great and I cannot wait to try it.

Bob Sherwood

[Ruth]

To date the white asparagus I have found in New York, imported from South America, is not worth the trouble, but when we rented an apartment in Paris last spring I bought the really thick white asparagus and cooked it exactly as I cook the green - peeled, brushed with olive oil and seasoned, then roasted in a very hot (500°) oven for about 8 minutes.

Ruth Friedman

[AppleBrownBetty]

"Just a note on purple asparagus. Last year I bought some, too, and learned the hard way that cooking eliminates the purple and they become green. Naive on my part and though I've asked plenty no-one has offered any way to use them purple but raw."

If you add a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water, the asparagus will keep its purple color. The reason is that the acid in those liquids retains the red pigment, anthocyanin. Happy cooking!

Edited April 23, 2005 by AppleBrownBetty (log)

[chardan]

Ooooh, I envy you. I loooove white asparagus, and although where I live it is possible to find fantastic produce, white asparagus usually (and sadly) isn't one of them.

One of my very favorite things in the world is sparglecremesuppe, a cream of white asparagus soup that is beyond yummy.

I'd give you my favorite recipe, but it seems to still be packed. Sorry. :(

Trust me though, you want to give it a try! Just follow a regular cream of asparagus soup recipe, but make sure that it's one that includes a little pork fat.

_Jesse Williamson ;-};

[kellytree]

I brought back a kilo of white asparagus with me from Germany . After 10 hours in the car they probably aren't in the best of shape but bfd - they will work.

Boil those babies and make a bernaise sauce???

wrap in ham and plop 'em in the oven til dead/done?

The problem with white asparagus is every time I have eaten them they always are cooked to hell and taste like they come from a can. Which is why I never buy them ... not true - I don't buy them because they don't have them in my part of town.

what shall I do with the aspargus ?

[Jason Perlow]

Blanch, balsamic vinaigrette, serve room temp.

Edited May 5, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Chufi]

White asparagus season hasn't quite started here yet. When it does, we'll be eating it 2 times a week. Boiled or steamed until tender, but not overcooked. On the plate with slices of cooked and smoked ham, steamed new potatoes, softboiled eggs and lots, LOTS of melted butter.

It's heaven on a plate.

One thing about white asparagus. The ones I see in the market now are imported from Spain, they are thick white stalks that look okay. But when you take one out of the paper wrapper that holds the stem ends together, you often see that the stalks are cracked sometimes until halfway the asparagus.

They are completely dried out and there is no amount of cooking (or butter) that is going to make that edible. They should be pearly white and juicy, when you snap them the juice should spurt out.

Wish it was the season already...

edited to add:

when we get tired of eating them like that, they also make a lovely gratin with parmesan, or a quiche. Salmon, smoked or fresh, is also a good match.

Edited May 5, 2006 by Chufi (log)