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Asparagus Tips
Making the Most of Spring's Star Attraction
By Donna Smith
The asparagus I eat at restaurants is crisp and delicious. When I cook it at home, it's mushy. What am I doing wrong?
"You're overcooking them," says Leanne Ely, author of Healthy Foods: An Irreverent Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Feeding Your Family Well. Here's how Ely says to make the perfect asparagus:
1. Buy the thinnest asparagus you can find. They cook much better than the bigger ones.
2. Wash your asparagus and snap the woody bottoms off individually with your hands; don't use a knife.
3. Using a steamer basket inserted into the tallest pot you have, steam the asparagus standing upright, if possible.
4. When they turn bright green, pull them out immediately. They will still be a little crisp, but will continue cooking and be just right.