Available from late April until the end of June the short season for UK grown Asparagus makes it a special indulgence to capitalise on. Its simple elegance of look and taste means that, other than some good butter or olive oil and salt, no further adornment is necessary.
Cook it as soon as possible after buying (look for firm, green stems) or cook it and keep it for a couple of days, wrapped, in the fridge and use it to add to other salad ingredients. See also the Salad of Peas in these pages.
The stems vary in size; so, thick stems need to be prepared in a different way to, and cooked for a little longer than, the slender ones.
To prepare and cook Asparagus
Wash it well in cold water and drain in a colander.
If the stems are thick, bend each one with your hands and the stem should snap at the very point where it changes from woody to tender. If the stems are slender, meaning they cannot be bent and snapped, slice off the very end of the stem only (about 5mm).
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil over high heat and add the prepared asparagus.
Bring the water back to the boil, reduce the heat slightly and let the asparagus cook in the gently bubbling water for 2 to 4 minutes – you will need to check they are tender at the thickest part of the stem.
Drain them and eat hot with butter or olive oil and salt. Or, if you want to eat them cold, plunge them under very cold running water in a colander, drain them and store them, well wrapped, in the fridge until you need them. They should keep very well for three or four days.
