I think from the middle of April through the beginning of June, you could probably call this blog Cook Local Asparagus. After all, this delicious vegetable is only available for a few short weeks a year and while it is available, we eat it as often as we possibly can. Even though we love it simply roasted and finished with some Parmesan, we’re always looking for new ways to serve it. I found this recipe while browsing Tastespotting a few weeks ago.
Parmesan crusted asparagus
Rosemary and Parmesan Crusted Asparagus, adapted from Eat Make Read
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese, grated finely
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup flour
1. Cut the ends off of the asparagus. I like to cut off the parts that are mostly purple, but really, cut as much or as little off as you’d like. I find that once the knife doesn’t meet much resistance, I’ve reached the parts of the stalk that won’t be woody.
2. Mince the rosemary.
3. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for about 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove the asparagus and set in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. Set up three stations. 1 plate with flour. 1 large bowl with a beaten egg. 1 plate with the Parmesan and rosemary mixture.
Tasty!
6. Dredge the asparagus stalks in the flour, then the egg, and then the Parmesan.
7. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.
8. Cook the asparagus for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the Parmesan has browned nicely. Turn the asparagus and continue to cook, turning until all sides are nice and golden brown.
9. Serve and enjoy!
Mmm, cheese
Chef’s Notes: So far, of all the asparagus recipes we’ve made, this is my second favorite (my favorite by far is Walking the Plank). I love how the Parmesan crisps nicely and provides just the right amount of salty goodness to match with the fresh asparagus. Even though we blanched the asparagus ahead of time, the stalks still had a nice crunch to them. If you prefer your stalks mushy, just blanch them for a minute or two longer. You could mix other things into the Parmesan mixture, such as thyme, smoked sea salt, or breadcrumbs. The only downside to this recipe is that there was a bit more prep work than some of our other asparagus recipes. However, if you’ve got a solid 20 minutes to make an asparagus dish, this is absolutely the one I’d recommend.
