Asparagus

How to store Asparagus

Asparagus should always be be kept in the fridge and benefits immeasurably by being eaten as soon as possible at its fresh best. It will keep for several days, but if you haven’t devoured it in the first few days then standing it upright in a cup of water can help it last a while longer.

Prep & Cooking tips

You’ll need to trim away any tough stalk ends before cooking. The prescribed trick for this is to hold the spear at each end and gently, evenly bend until it snaps. However we think sometimes this removes a little more than required, so it is better to use a knife and trim at the point where you can feel the stalk starting to become tough and woody.

The spears will take 2-3 mins to boil or steam. They’ll roast in a hot oven if well-oiled in about 7-8 mins or yield to a griddle or BBQ in half that time. Try shaving them into thin ribbons with a swivel-top peeler and adding them raw to a salad.

If your asparagus is particularly thick, once you have cut off the woody ends, split the spears into halves or quarters lengthways to help speed the cooking process.

Watch our Veg Hack video below, where chef Bob looks at how to prepare and roast asparagus for a simple asparagus lunchtime treat.

Easy ideas

1. Roasted

You needn’t always steam or boil your spears. Oiled and seasoned, they will roast in a hot oven in about 8-10 mins; they’ll yield to a griddle or BBQ in half that time. Try throwing generous slices into a tray of roasting new potatoes for the final 10 mins, garnish with some thyme and crumbled sheep’s cheese. Try our recipe for roasted asparagus with hazelnut dressing.

2. Well dressed

At its simplest all you need is a little olive oil, lemon juice and a turn of pepper. Melted butter always ticks the box, but can be taken to another level if allowed brown a little to release some complex, nutty aromas. Try a simple vinaigrette, maybe laced with orange zest and coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

3. Eggs

Asparagus seems to strike a culinary chord with the humble egg in all its forms. Use it instead of toasted soldiers with a runny boiled egg. Attempt a daunting but delectable hollandaise sauce as a dip or dressing; a homemade mayo works well too, lifted with a little chopped garlic and anchovy.

Pile some roasted spears onto buttered toast, grate over a hardboiled egg and finish with a garnish of chopped parsley, capers and celery salt. For a simple dinner throw some cooked and chopped asparagus together with hot pasta, crispy bacon bits and a couple of egg yolks; the heat of the pasta should turn the yolks into a silken sauce, finish with parmesan.

Goes well with

Citrus (Orange, Lemon)

Nuts (Hazelnuts, Pine nuts)

Prosciutto and bacon

Butter

Mint

Mushrooms

New potatoes

Peas

Parmesan

Eggs