Asparagus with butter and lemon juice
4 servings
15 minutes
Asparagus with butter and lemon juice is the embodiment of elegance in French cuisine. This simple yet exquisite recipe highlights the natural flavor of asparagus, enhancing it with a delicate creamy texture and refreshing acidity from the lemon. Asparagus, one of the oldest vegetable crops, is valued for its sophistication and lightness. First, it is carefully peeled and boiled to retain freshness and firmness before being dipped in melted butter that makes each spear velvety. The finishing touch is lemon juice that adds brightness and harmonizes with the delicate plant notes. The dish is perfect as an elegant side for fish or meat but is equally delightful on its own. It is served immediately while the butter is still warm to fully enjoy its rich flavors.
1
Peel the meaty stems of green asparagus about two-thirds of the way down from the thick end. If the thick ends are very rough, remove them. All asparagus should ultimately be the same length to cook evenly, so if a stem is tender but long, cut it down to match the shorter ones.
2
Form a bundle of asparagus and tie it with cooking twine.
3
In a deep saucepan, bring two liters of salted water to a boil. Place the asparagus in the water and cook for five minutes. Ideally, the saucepan should be sized so that the upper, most tender and thin parts of the shoots are above the water and do not overcook.
- Salt: to taste
4
Cool the cooked asparagus in ice water to prevent it from becoming mushy, and then dry it. In this state, it can be stored for a day or more.
5
But it's foolish to store it. Because after drying, you need to melt butter in a saucepan, add asparagus, gently stir and sauté it in the butter for a minute, then add the juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper, mix, and remove from heat. Serve immediately. So the butter doesn't have time to cool.
- Butter: 50 g
- Green asparagus: 500 g
- Lemon: 0.5 piece
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste