Well, there are several ways to cook asparagus, the key however is to
not overcook it!.
Prep:
There are actually two
methods to
prepare asparagus for cooking, one of which is listed by
mrichich, and that is to find that "natural breaking point", however this is deemed by many to be rather wasteful. For a
vegetable apsaragus isn't
cheap. It's a less wasteful thing (although I'll admit it's more
labor intensive) to get out your vegetable peeler (
potato peeler, what-have-you) and to peel the bottom few inches of each stalk, the inner portion is tender and delicious. Also make sure to wash your asparagus.
Cooking:
Boiling -
The most common method to cook asparagus is by boiling/
steaming it. Because asparagus is thicker at the
bottom this has become a good method for cooking your asparagus uniformly. Fill a tall stock-pot with
water, you want it deep enough that if you stick an asapargus stalk in the water the top few inches will remain above the water. Now, bundle your asparagus. When the water comes to a boil stand the bundle upright in the
pot and cook until the bottoms become tender (you do not want the asparagus to become
limp).
Steaming -
You can just steam the whole things, using a low steaming rack in a tall pot, bundle and steam the aparagus similar to the boiling method. Steaming cooks the asparagus slightly slower and maintains more of the
nutrients and
flavor.
Roasting -
Ok, this is my favorite, it retains nearly all the nutrients and flavor of the asparagus, and it's really
easy. Just lay your prepped asparagus out on a baking sheet and pop them into a 350-400 degree
oven for a few minutes, until the stems are tender (the tips may char a little, just scrape that off with a knife).
I hope this gives you more of an insight into cooking this
noble vegetable. Asparagus is one of the oldest vegetables that we have evidence of being eaten by ancient cultures and the boiling method above was actually published in the first written
cookbook. Don't pass this
ingredient up next time you're in the produce section of your local
supermarket. Aside form being high in vitamins, it is a beautiful
garnish. Try cutting the asparagus into half-inch lengths and arranging them into a
ring mold, this makes an
excellent and attractive base on which to place the main dish.