Perfect “Grilled” Asparagus
The following evening I went out to dinner with a few friends at a favorite local spot and could not resist ordering the grilled asparagus. They emerged vibrant green striped with grill marks topped with chopped hard-boiled eggs and smoked trout. My hopes were low, but the asparagus did not disappoint: it was crispy with a beautiful earthy flavor.
I don’t know where the asparagus came from, but I asked the server how the chef cooked them, and this is what I learned: he blanched them first in well-salted water; then grilled them.
I tried the method the following evening on the same Jersey asparagus and the result was uplifting: snappy spears with bright flavor. This is what I did:
- Trimmed the ends off the asparagus.
- Dropped them in boiling, salted water; then immediately drained them — they were not in the water for more than 15 seconds.
- Dried them.
- Tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grilled on my grill pan for 3 to 5 minutes, just to give the spears a bit of charred flavor.
