What does asparagus taste like? Have you ever tried asparagus? Did you like it?
Asparagus is a nutritious vegetable that is popular in some regions of the world like northern Africa, Europe, western Asia and of course the United States. This vegetable is rich in dietary fiber, which is important to prevent as well as treat constipation. In addition to this, asparagus contains potassium, zinc, phosphorus, niacin as well as riboflavin and thiamine.
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The vegetable is also helpful to pregnant women because it has folate, which is essential to help protect babies from neural tube defects.
When thinking about cooking asparagus, preparation is the key whether it will be cooked by boiling, steaming, grilling or roasting. Asparagus can also be cooked in the microwave, cut into sections to be used in stir fry and can be blanched to use with vegetable dips. The fresher the asparagus the better it will taste and when bought in the store in can be maintained for two or three days, if stored properly.
What Does Asparagus Taste Like? And How Can You Cook It
Trimming asparagus is best done by hand by simply bending the stalk until it breaks. If it bends but will not snap it is probably old and may not have a fresh flavor. When preparing for cooking asparagus some cooks will peel the outer layer. While this not necessary, it can help with the tenderness of the stalks.
While it is the fibers inside the outer layer that need softened when cooking asparagus, it is good to peel only a couple of spots on the outside. This will allow enough steam to the inside to cook thoroughly. To peel prior to cooking asparagus, lay the stalk flat on the counter or cutting board and using a vegetable peeler start at the top and peel toward the end. It can be peeled completely but to save time, removing one portion of the peel from each side will suffice.
Stalks Should Face Same Direction While Cooking Asparagus
One the stalks have been peeled and trimmer to the desired size, they can be placed in a saucepan with about one inch of water in the bottom. The asparagus can be trimmed at the bottom to fit into the saucepan so they stand vertical. Tie them together with kitchen string to help the bundle stand upright and to evenly steam the entire bundle.
It may be wise to use two strings when cooking asparagus, one at the top and one near the bottom to keep them secured. Depending on thickness, five to 10 minutes should be enough. When cooking asparagus by boiling, use just enough water to cover the asparagus, having all the stems pointing in the same direction, keeping them covered with water.
It will take four to six minutes to cook completely. To grill, place a cooking screen over the fire or skewers can be used to keep the spears from falling through the grate. It only takes about 30 seconds to 60 minutes, depending on the thickness when cooking asparagus over the grill.
For cooking asparagus by roasting, they can be laid flat on a baking sheet and put in the oven at 425 degrees for two to three minutes. This provides a still tender stalk with a special roasted taste. Use salt or other seasonings to taste.
One of the most famous ways of cooking the vegetable is by grilling. Discussed below are guidelines that you can follow to learn how to grill asparagus perfectly.
How To Grill Asparagus
- Indoor Grilling Asparagus
If you prefer indoor grilling, then the first thing that you should know is to get an electric grill. For instance, you cannot find an electric grill then you should have a grilling pan. Place the grilling pan on the stove and preheat over low fire. Remove the ends of the vegetable and wash.
Cut the vegetable into two or three. You can snap it or you can use a knife to slice the asparagus. If you are using a grilling pan, you should spray olive oil or vegetable oil on the pan before you put the vegetable. Change the heat setting of the stove to medium high and put the vegetable on the pan.
On the other hand, if you are using an electric grill, you can put the asparagus in skewers. Brush the asparagus with vegetable oil before placing on the grill. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the vegetable to enhance the taste. Grill the vegetable for three minutes to five minutes.
- Outdoor Grilling Asparagus
If you like to try the outdoor grilling method, it is best if you wrap the vegetable with aluminum foil. To do this, place a tablespoon of butter on an aluminum foil. Wash the asparagus thoroughly. Drizzle salt and pepper on the vegetable. Cut the vegetable into several portions. Arrange the vegetable on the foil. Wrap the vegetable with the foil and place on a preheated grill. Cook for 10 minutes to 15 minutes.
Additional Information and Other Important Details If you want to improve the taste of the vegetable, you can add herbs and other spices in the foil before wrapping it. Examples of herbs that can enhance the taste of the vegetable are garlic, onion, thyme as well as oregano.
If you are trying the indoor grilling method, you can tell that the vegetable is done if the color of the asparagus becomes dark green. To make the vegetable more flavorful and enticing, you can serve it along with pine nuts.
When preparing a grilled asparagus dish, make sure that you use fresh ingredients. To avoid the vegetable from burning, turn it occasionally. Additionally, instead of brushing the vegetable with olive oil, you can substitute it with butter to improve the natural flavor of the dish.
Do not sprinkle too much salt on the vegetable because it causes asparagus to become dry. Finally, to enjoy the natural taste of the vegetable, you should serve it immediately after grilling.
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