21.9.07

The-Yet-To-Be-Named-Food-Post

It's that time of the week. And to mark the end of summer, here's a nifty little starter/side-dish. Yenjoy.

Sizzling Asparagus
Time needed:
Preparation: 1 minute.
Cooking: 3 minutes.

Keep ready:
Butter
Garlic, few cloves, roughly chopped
Asparagus spears, cut into big chunks
Oregano
Light soya sauce
Lemon juice
Sweet-chilli sauce


Then:
On a medium-heat, add the butter, and when it melts, the garlic. Let sizzle for a few seconds, then add the asparagus, oregano and soya sauce. Occasionally stir, making sure all the asparagus is coated well in the soya sauce. When the asparagus goes bright bright green, remove from heat. Squeeze lemon juice all over, add salt to taste, and serve hot with a squeegee of s-c sauce besides it to dip into.

What's nice about it:
Asparagus, like broccoli, has a very distinctive taste, which is normally very overpowering and hence off-putting, but when complemented with other flavours can make for a wonderful dish. In this, the soya and garlic give it a slightly Oriental flavour, while the oregano mixes it and brings out its own lovely taste. The lemon juice just gives that little extra tang, and when you dip one of these into the sweet-chilli sauce.........oh yes.

Try serving with a wedge of warm olive ciabatta.

Focus on:
1) Not burning the garlic - keep it golden.
2) Not overcooking the asparagus - keep it crunchy, but make sure it's cooked.
3) Not too much soya.
4) Lemon juice, not lime - the latter is just too strong.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I got a pc for a few minutes and thought I'd offer a quick variation...

Soak the asparagus in olive oil for a half hour before you do the actual cooking.

Revealed said...

What you didn't like my title?????!!!

Oooh I'd so try this one (including R's variation) cept *some* people have bloody finals! Hmmph!

Anonymous said...

End of summer? We're in Londinium or thereabouts are we? Will try this one for sure.

Cloudcutter

??! said...

ren:
Variation acknowledged. Will try.

Flaffy:
One Million Ways might be a tad too much, no?

CC:
Thereabouts.