Asparagus with Buttered Breadcrumbs
15 min
Under an hour
Roman Vaněk
Ingredients
Preparation method
Carefully peel the asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Tie the asparagus into portions with kitchen twine. In a narrow, tall pot, bring water with sugar and salt to a boil.
Place the tied asparagus into the pot with boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Untie the cooked asparagus and divide it onto plates.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. In a pan over medium heat, dry-roast the breadcrumbs until golden brown, then transfer them to a bowl to prevent further toasting in the hot pan. Sprinkle them over the asparagus or coat individual stalks of cooked asparagus in them and drizzle with melted butter.
Chef's tip
Peel the asparagus from the tip downwards. This way, you won't break the tip. You can also snap off the woody part – just bend the asparagus firmly, and the stalk will break where the woody part begins. Don't throw away the woody ends; you can use them for soup or broth. It is very important to peel white asparagus very carefully, as it has a very tough skin that is inedible and would only be bothersome in the mouth when eating. Fresh asparagus is full of water. You can tell its freshness by the squeaking sound the stalks make when rubbed together. When cooking asparagus, only the stalks should be submerged in water; the tips should stick out. If they are submerged, pour off a little water. For the last minute of cooking, submerge the asparagus tips in the water as well. Breadcrumbs brown quickly, so be careful not to burn them. You need to stir them constantly while toasting in the pan. Over-toasted, dark breadcrumbs have a bitter taste.