Spring allergies, a busy Easter season, and a back that has decided to rebel after a big weeding project have all conspired to limit my time in the kitchen to basics. But a bundle of nice asparagus that had been picked up a couple of days ago really needed attention, and it was no longer fresh enough to just cook it without help from a little bit more than just salt and butter.
All it took was little fresh lemon juice, which gave that no-longer-really-fresh asparagus a new lease on life and made it sing again.
Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon Butter for Two
The asparagus you want should be the fat, thick-stemmed variety. It really has a better flavor and texture than the skinny, pencil-sized stems, and works much better in a sauté.
This is a lovely side dish for chicken, fish (especially salmon), veal, and lamb, and is very a very nice accompaniment for an omelet or frittata.
Serves 2
¾ pound fat-stemmed asparagus
1 lemon
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cut into small bits and kept cold
Whole black pepper in a mill
1 heaped teaspoon minced flat leaf parsley, for garnish, optional
1. Rinse the asparagus under cold running water. Prepare a basin of cold water. Trim the cut end of the asparagus and peel the tough outer layer on the lower parts of the stems. Drop them into the cold water as peeled. Grate the zest from half of the lemon with a microplane-type zester. Set the zest aside and cut lemon in half.
2. Put at least 1 inch of water in a large, heavy-bottomed lidded skillet. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then add a small handful of salt and the asparagus, cover, and bring it back to a boil. Uncover and cook 2 minutes. Check it for doneness: It should be a little firmer than crisp-tender. If it's still too firm, keep cooking it until it's the right texture, keeping in mind that it'll be cooked some more. While the asparagus cooks, prepare fresh basin of cold water.
3. Drain the asparagus and immediately drop it into the cold water, gently stirring until it's cool. Drain, pat dry, and cut it into 2-inch lengths.
4. Put 1½ tablespoons of butter in the skillet in which the asparagus was blanched and return the pan to medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and hot, add the lemon zest, stir until fragrant, just a few seconds, then add the asparagus. Cook, tossing gently, until it is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes longer. Turn off the heat.
5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add the remaining cold butter cut into bits and gently toss until it's just melted but still quite thick and coating the asparagus. Taste and adjust the seasonings and divide the asparagus among two warm dinner plates. Finish them with a little parsley if liked and serve immediately.