Puréed Asparagus Recipes

PURéED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed and chopped asparagus and add 1 large peeled and cubed potato in 2 tablespoons butter to soften, about 5 minutes
• Add 5 cups stock or water; boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes
• Cool slightly, purée, strain and refrigerate
• Garnish: Lemon juice and olive oil.

ASPARAGUS PUREE

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath; set a medium bowl in ice-water bath and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large shallow saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and reduce heat to low; cook, until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add asparagus; stir to coat.
• Add enough boiling water just to cover asparagus; let cook for 2 minutes. Drain asparagus mixture in a fine mesh strainer and transfer to bowl set in ice-water bath; let cool slightly.
• Transfer asparagus mixture to the jar of a blender along with spinach leaves. Add enough water just to blend; blend until smooth.

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat. Once oil is hot add asparagus spears; cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and cover to steam asparagus and keep it from drying out. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

ASPARAGUS SAUCE

Steps:

• Soften the onion and garlic, and blend it with the cooked asparagus, salt and pepper and a little mace, then gradually stir in enough single or double cream until the mixture has a sauce like consistency.
• This sauce can then be heated and served with pasta, salmon, or chicken.

ASPARAGUS THREE WAYS: RAW, COOKED, PURéED

Steps:

• Snap off ends of asparagus stalks where they break naturally. Discard ends. Peel asparagus. Select 16 of the most uniform and thickest spears and set aside. Cut remaining stalks in half, place in a saucepan of well-salted water and simmer until very tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and purée in food processor or blender. You should have about 1 1/4 cups.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly butter 4 small round ovenproof containers, preferably 3- to 4-ounce size. Porcelain ramekins or custard cups, heatproof glass bowls or tiny nonstick muffin or dariole molds can be used.
• Combine 2/3 cup purée with egg and egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to buttered molds. Place molds in a baking dish, and add simmering water to come halfway up sides of molds. Bake 45 minutes or until custards are set and surface is fairly firm to the touch. Remove from oven, leaving molds in water bath.
• While custards bake, cut a 2-inch-long piece from the tip of each reserved asparagus stalk. Cut each tip piece in half lengthwise, place in a saucepan of salted water, bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, and set aside on absorbent paper.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave 4 or 5 ribbons lengthwise from remaining pieces of stalk, leaving center portion intact. Place ribbons in a bowl of ice water. Mince centers no larger than peppercorns. Fold minced asparagus into remaining purée, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Beat vinegar and oil together but not enough to emulsify completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add truffles, olive paste or balsamic vinegar, and stir lightly to combine but not blend thoroughly. Vinaigrette should remain somewhat broken.
• To serve, spoon asparagus purée with minced raw asparagus in a circle in center of each of 4 large salad plates. Unmold custards on top of purée. Surround each with 8 cooked halved asparagus tips, cut side down, like spokes of a wheel. Drain raw asparagus ribbons and pat dry. Scatter over cooked tips, and pose one that's nicely curled on each custard. Drizzle vinaigrette on plate around asparagus.

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, and add asparagus; boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness).
• Remove with tongs, or drain in a colander, and immediately transfer to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Drain; refrigerate until completely chilled.

PUREED ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine the asparagus, shallot, potatoes, vegetable broth, mint and lemon zest.
• Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to puree, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or in a food processor.
• If using a food processor, transfer the soup back to the saucepan.
• Heat the soup to warm it through.
• Season with salt and pepper and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of chives and scallion greens.

SAUTéED SCALLOPS WITH ASPARAGUS PURéE

Steps:

• Asparagus: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously (make it as salty as seawater). Trim the woody ends from asparagus and discard; then submerge asparagus in the boiling water. Cover with lid just until the water comes back to a boil, then uncover and cook until al dente (tender but with just a little crunch), 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water.
• Asparagus are done when they bend without snapping. Use a spider strainer to transfer them to the ice bath; submerge and stir to immediately stop the cooking. Reserve cooking water (to thin purée). Cut asparagus tips and reserve for garnish. Cut stalks into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Place asparagus stalks in the blender and cover with lid; pulse a few times. Remove the smaller cap in the lid and turn blender to medium speed. Ladle in a slow stream of cooking water (about ½ cup) to help the asparagus purée. Use caution, as the water and purée are hot! Replace the cap, then purée on high speed. When the purée is smooth, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any fibrous strands. Salt the purée to taste and set aside.
• Scallops: Place scallops on paper towels in an even layer and pat dry; this is an important step to get a nice sear. Pull off and discard any tough side-muscles (their fibers run against the grain of the rest of the scallop). Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. (Add more as needed to coat the bottom of the skillet.) When the oil begins to ripple, add scallops in an even layer without crowding. Let cook undisturbed, 60-90 seconds. Scallops are ready to flip when they are evenly caramelized and no longer stick to the skillet. Before flipping, sprinkle with sea salt. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the asparagus purée.
• When scallops are golden brown on the first side, they should release easily from the skillet. Using a small offset spatula, flip each scallop to sear the second side; continue sautéing, 30-45 more seconds, depending on size. Remove scallops to a paper towel-lined plate and let rest while finishing the sauce.
• Add half of the asparagus tips to the warmed purée. Add butter, then swirl the saucepan continuously until all the butter has melted and emulsified into the purée to make a rich sauce.
• Immediately before serving, add the lemon juice to the asparagus sauce and stir to combine; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the sauce among plates or large bowls, then place the scallops on the sauce. Garnish with remaining asparagus tips and serve immediately.