Asparagus Ends

Any suggestions for use of asparagus ends?

Thanks much

Hi,

I presume you used the tips for something else.

I use Julia Child's method for cooking asparagus:

I cut off the stalk ends and use a peeler to remove the skin just up to the tip. I get a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then drop in my asparagus. Depending on thickness, they should be done within 5 minutes. To test, you lift the asparagus in the middle with a chop stick and it should be gently drooping. Drain and eat.

Sometimes I will sprinkle parmesan on top and eat with gently scrambled eggs.

So you don't have the tips, you still have quite a good feed as-is. After I learned this method, I stopped buying the thinnest asparagus and went for the fat ones instead. This cooking method seems high maintenance, and I guess it is, but well worth the effort.

When I serve asparagus at parties, I found at a house sale a platter with a reservoir underneath and lid. I fill the reservoir with hot water and it keeps the asparagus warm until it is finished.

Though chilled cooked asparagus stalks with some type of dipping sauce would be good.

Have fun!

asparagus quiche
in salads
asparagus soup
stir fries
in scrambled eggs
on sandwiches
spread for crostini
with pasta
stuffing for chicken breast or fish fillet

roll up between thinly sliced strips of ham or roast beef which have
been spread with whipped cream cheese, then rolled up (also
see the beef and asparagus rolls in the new "Saveur"

All this is very tasty, and maybe what I was thinking of, but maybe not. We just had friends over for dinner - bloody roast beef, pan gravy, mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus. Broke off the bottom ends per tradition and steamed the spears. Left with stumps - good for anything?

I will try Cathy2's method on the remaining stalks.

Thanks much for pointers.

alriemer wrote: Broke off the bottom ends per tradition and steamed the spears. Left with stumps - good for anything?

Toss them in a stock, or a vegetable soupl

Bruce wrote:Toss them in a stock

A vegetable stock is probably the best use for the hard/inedible stumps. One other idea that I sometimes use: I steam asparagus often, and I'll throw the stumps in the steaming liquid. Not sure if it really does anything for flavor, but at least I don't feel like I'm throwing something away.

Best,
EC

I never bother peeling my asparagus ends. I trim off any super-tough ends of the ends (does that make sense?), then slice the ends into super-thin rounds - I aim for 1/32" but sometimes they're closer to 1/16" thick. These thin little mini-coins are great sauteed in a little browned butter ans served with pasta or rice. It works because the skins of the asparagus get their toughness from their long fibers; but slicing the pieces so thin makes the fibers unnoticeable. (Kind of the same theory as cutting flank steak or London Broil thinky across the grain.) And you don't lose the flavor from the green skins, which you would if you peeled them conventionally.