15 ways with asparagus

Make the most of the short asparagus season with Warren Elwin’s fresh ideas.

• Trim the woody ends off asparagus and steam or gently boil spears until they are fork tender (3-8 minutes depending on their thickness. Serve cooked spears with hollandaise sauce, aioli and a grating of parmesan or a big dollop of herby butter.

• Make a herby butter by mixing together 150g soft unsalted butter, some flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, lemon zest, and lots of chopped chervil or parsley.

• Make a coleslaw of cabbage, carrot, fennel bulb or radish. Add shredded raw asparagus (use a sharp potato peeler) and toss through a lemony yoghurt and fresh mint dressing.

• Chop cooked asparagus into batons and toss with fresh chives or scapes (garlic bolt), coriander and toasted sesame seeds. Toss through a sesame oil, chilli oil, soy, ginger and lemon juice dressing.

• Add cooked and sliced asparagus to a caesar salad.

• Make a healthy rice bowl with cooked sushi rice, cooked asparagus marinated in sesame oil and citrus, grilled salmon, toasted sesame seeds and shredded toasted nori. Or add asparagus to sushi rolls.

• Pickle some ready for the Christmas buffet. See recipe for pickled asparagus.

• Make a cold soup by blanching chopped asparagus in 1 cup of water and blitzing the asparagus and water with soft herbs (such as chervil, parsley or basil) until smooth. Chill, then whisk in a cup or two of natural yoghurt or buttermilk and season with salt, pepper and lemon zest.

• Make a hot soup by simmering onions, garlic and kumara in chicken stock until soft. Add some chopped asparagus, cook until tender, then blitz until smooth. Serve with a herby sour cream.

• Flavour some fish stock by simmering it with lemongrass, fresh ginger and kaffir lime leaves. Remove the flavourings and add chopped asparagus and chunks of fresh fish. Simmer until just cooked. Add shredded kale or cavolo nero, fresh herbs, chives, lemon juice, cooked egg noodles, and freshly ground black pepper to serve.

• Drop the A for avocado and make it an A for asparagus in your next BLAT sandwich. Fire it up with a dash of hot sauce and mayo.

• Garnish fish tacos with finely sliced cooked asparagus, pickled jalapenos, and salsa verde.

• Make fajitas with grilled, sliced skirt steak on warmed tortillas. Top with sauteed onion, capsicum and asparagus mixed with a little balsamic vinegar and fresh coriander.

• Add shredded raw asparagus to a corn fritter batter or chopped asparagus to savoury muffins or quiche.

• Marinate asparagus in crushed garlic, grated ginger, lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil. Wrap bundles in prosciutto or bacon and grill on the barbecue or in the oven until tender. Brush with balsamic vinegar to serve.

Recipes

For more asparagus recipes, go to our asparagus collection.