How do you cook asparagus?

Answer 1

Boil or steam for 10 minutes
Toss in salted olive oil or butter

Answer 2

Soak the asparagus in cold water for several minutes. Swish it to remove dirt and grit.
Bend each stalk gently until the tough, woody end snaps off. You may cut the ends off with a sharp knife.
Discard the ends or set aside.
If the asparagus is particularly tough or old, remove the skin from the stalk with a vegetable peeler.
To boil, tie the asparagus in bundles (this makes them easy to remove all at once) and immerse in boiling, salted water. Blanch for about 10 minutes, or just until tender. Remove bundles immediately, remove strings, and keep warm.
If using an asparagus cooker or tall pot, tie and stand the asparagus upright with the spears above water, then cover and cook just until the stalks are tender but still firm.
To microwave, arrange the spears in a round baking dish with the tips toward the center. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook on HIGH (100% power) for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, rotating the dish a half turn after about 4 minutes.
Tips:
If using asparagus in a cold dish, plunge into cold water immediately after cooking.
Freeze the discarded stems for future use. They can be cooked and pureed for sauces and soups, or used to flavor stock.
Avoid cooking asparagus in an iron pot. Asparagus contains tannins which react on contact with iron, altering the vegetable's
color.

Answer 3

Basic cooking:

Asparagus - line them up (spears on one side) on the cutting board
take one asparagus with both hands and break it. The area where it's broken should be the separation point between the tender part and the stocky part. Use this point as a tool to cut the rest of the asparagus.

Place water (with a pinch of salt) into a large basin pot (enough to cover all of the asparagus) and let it boil. Place the asparagus into the pot. Let it simmer (covered) until they are tender to touch with fork.

Remove, add salt, pepper and any other seasoning to taste.

I usually blanch mine, and saute in olive oil with some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. It's delicious on whole wheat pasta!

Answer 4

Tender asparagus is usually boiled or steamed, but it can also be roasted or grilled for almost any asparagus recipe.
Instructions
STEP 1: Wash spears in cool water to clean any residual soil or sand from the tips. STEP 2: Bend the spears and they will snap at the natural breaking point, to remove the woody bottoms. Cook one of the following ways: STEP 3: Boil asparagus in 1 inch of salted water in a wide skillet for 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately rinse them under cool water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. STEP 4: Steam asparagus spears or pieces for 3 minutes, then rinse under cool water. STEP 5: Roast asparagus in a 500 degree F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Roasting is usually best for thicker spears. STEP 6: Stir-fry 2-inch lengths of asparagus with black bean sauce for a change of pace. Or stir-fry with garlic and ginger and toss with a little dark sesame oil. STEP 7: Grill asparagus by skewering four or five spears together, making a raft that prevents individual spears from slipping between the grill bars. Buy the thickest spears you can find and secure them with bamboo skewers about 2 inches from the top and 1 inch from the bottom. Break the skewers off where they exit the raft. Brush the raft with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Tips & Warnings
Tie the bunch of asparagus together with kitchen twine to make it easier to remove from its cooking apparatus.
Asparagus is done if it bends a little as you pick it up, and when the thicker end can be easily cut.
You don't even need a recipe for asparagus. Just steam, boil or grill it, then add butter, salt and pepper.
Invigorate cooked asparagus with lemon juice, butter, chopped sautéed shallots, minced sautéed garlic, chopped parsley or any combination of the above

Answer 5

My all-time favorite way to cook asparagus is to roast it. I coat a shallow pan with olive oil, lay the asparagus on it in a single layer, drizzle more olive oil over it and sprinkle salt over the whole thing. Roast it in a preheated 400 degree oven until it's done the way you like it -- usually around 20 minutes. It will look shriveled up and dark when you take it out, but trust me, it will be DELICIOUS!!!! So many people rave over it when I make it this way ... even people who don't normally like asparagus.

Answer 6

I like mine boiled with a small portion of sugar in the water. Asparagus cooks quickly so 5 o 7 minutes will do it. Drain hot water immediately to avoid having it overcook and get mushy. Serve with butter melted on top.

Answer 7

I cook asparagus by steaming it in a vegetable cooker. If you don't have a vegetable steamer, you can use a double boiler with holes in it and steam the asparagus until it is tender. You can also grill asparagus for about 7 minutes for great flavor.

Answer 8

Cut off bottom ends about 1 1/2 inch. Steam until soft. Squeeze lemon wedge over for zesty taste. Serve topped with butter or garlic butter.

Answer 9

Steam it and sprinkle salt and pepper and it is done

Answer 10

You can boil, blanch, or steam it... Put a little hollandaise sauce over it and enjoy!!! YUMMY!!!!!!!