Where there’s muck there’s grass : pricey, pernickety, here today and gone tomorrow

…what’s to love about Asparagus ?

Asparagus illustrates the modern - day dilemma  of the seasonal cook so well, it’s hard to think of a better example. That’s if you care for it, of course. “What’s all the fuss about?” Is a question I’ve been asked many times. “It doesn’t taste of all that much.” This is true, if it is handled thoughtlessly. It needs to be pampered. It’s kind of a diva, this vegetable. Which is why it’s often pricey.

Now available year - round, it was once a delicacy of the spring or early summer in Northern Europe, depending on the weather. Asparagus favours sandy soil. Moreover, it likes cold, sandy soil and warm sun (something it shares with morel mushrooms, which is why they are a rarity, too).

It took me many years of growing to understand that soil temperature has as much to do with success and failure in the garden as the weather itself…but there’s no point getting too nerdy about this as a cook. Suffice to say you can sow too early when beguiled by a sunny spell in April. If the soil is still too cold the seeds may perish before they have a chance to germinate. But the same conditions are good news to an asparagus farmer. Or rather, the plant itself.

Asparagus is a fern (the name we use has evolved from an old one: sparrow’s grass). What we cook and eat are the shoots. The tops of the shoots, often sold as “spears” , are the tightly curled tips of the fern. As soon as sunlight starts to play across those cold, sandy soils the fern favours, the shoots break the surface. Growth is surprisingly quick. If their progress is left unchecked the ferns will grow tall and make a fine spray of leaves not unlike dill or fennel, before producing red berries in autumn. This presents the grower with a dilemma. The Asparagus fern is a perennial. If allowed to complete its full growing cycle it will return year after year. Cut too many shoots, or cut too long into its growing season, and it will literally run out of steam (perhaps I should say stem)!

For this reason many growers stop harvesting at the tail end of June. One old piece of gardeners’ lore says you should never cut Asparagus after the Midsummer Solstice. Another says to stop as soon as the blackcurrants are ready to pick. Whichever method is chosen to set the date, the fern must be allowed to bolt and produce its autumn berries.

I can still remember when Asparagus had a season which began in spring and ended at some point in the summer. Enthusiastic cooks could get hold of the early stuff from Southern Europe. When I was a young chef, early asparagus from Italy or Spain was much prized. So was a  “forced” version from the Low Countries, which produced ethereal white spears or (rarer still, an almost purple variety). Most of this crop ends up preserved in jars or tins, a practice which dates back to a time when wastage would have been disastrous. Asparagus doesn’t keep well unless cooked.

Like other leguminous vegetables, asparagus is naturally high in sugars which run to starch soon after it has been cut. Then it tastes woody and bland. The starchiness can become overt in as little as forty eight hours. Unlike pulses, Asparagus can’t be dried. In the past this meant that it didn’t travel well, either.

This is why you might have heard asparagus aficionados extolling the virtue of buying it as locally as possible. Given the UK’s relatively small size, asparagus can easily be cut and sold within that magic window of one or two days after cutting. If you’re lucky enough to be able to buy asparagus in bunches (aka crowns) from independent greengrocers do not be shy of asking when it arrived…or even better, when it was cut. Sometimes this information can be seen on the label. If that seems a bit pernickety don’t forget, asparagus is one of the most expensive vegetables on the high street. You don’t want to be forking out  for anything bland.

The real deal is pea - sweet with a slightly bitter edge. the bite should fall somewhere between tenderstem broccoli and green beans. If it is really fresh, asparagus is delicious raw. To guarantee that what you’re buying has maximum flavour take a good look at asparagus from top to toe before you part company with your dosh. I would always buy bunched crowns rather than packaged spears. Bunched asparagus tends to fall into three main categories. Jumbo is the thickest, medium is the most common. Less easy to find but utterly delicious is ‘sprue’ which is pencil - thin and resembles a wild version of asparagus found mostly in the Mediterranean. Whether your stems are tick or thin, give them the same once over. The spears are the unfurled fern tops. They should be tight, tight  buds. Avoid  bunches where the spears look like they are about to flower (this shows up as space between the buds). Slimy, discoloured spears are usually a sign of bruising. Further down the stem look for any wrinkles. These are a sign of old age!

Sprue asparagus should be green and flexible from tip to toe.  Medium or jumbo will have a thicker, off - white base.

You can tell how fresh asparagus is by looking at this base, where it has been cut.  The stem is always fibrous there. That’s no bad thing. But it should still be moist. You’ll do no damage by giving one stem a really gentle squeeze between a finger and thumb at the very base. If the bunch is fresh, tiny drops of moisture should appear when the gentlest of pressure is applied.

Asparagus out of season

With the advent of air freighted vegetables, it has become possible to buy asparagus all year round. Once upon a time imported crops simply extended the UK season by a few weeks (the crops were from Southern Europe). But recently a new way of growing asparagus was developed in South and Central America. Asparagus usually goes dormant in the winter due to lack of sunlight but it can be ‘fooled’ if its water supply is intermittently cut off, creating an artificial drought. This stop - start irrigation technique is mostly used in Peru, the world’s largest producer of year - round Asparagus but Mexico is catching up. Both countries export over ninety percent of their annual crop. Much of it is now sold to the UK, even when domestic asparagus  is in season. Peruvian Asparagus is usually cheaper than the local crop wherever it is sold. With longer, more evenly sized spears it can make the local crop seem less appealing.

There are some ethical considerations to ponder before buying perpetual asparagus. The main one is the harm caused to traditional producers. It hasn’t happened here yet but in the US - where most of the Peruvian crop goes - many traditional asparagus farmers have given up,saying they can’t compete. There are issues with the irrigation methods used in both Mexico and Peru where water shortages have become common place as a result of intensive vegetable farming. In the case of Asparagus grown almost exclusively for export, I find myself asking who is really benefiting from this enterprise. It is almost certainly not the farmers or the local population. I would argue that it is not the consumer either.

If you allow yourself to experience asparagus as an early summer treat you’ll enjoy it much, much more.

How to get the most from Asparagus

Ideally, buy asparagus on the day you plan to eat it (the same applies to harvesting it if you grow your own). If you need to store it for a day or two, wrapping the crown in a damp tea-towel will help preserve freshness. It can also be kept in a vase of water like cut flowers.

Always wash asparagus before using it. Soil will fall between the buds as the spears push through the earth. And because it never grows very tall, rainwater will often splash grit onto the stems and spears. The best way to clean it is a decent soak in a sink or large bowlful of water (as opposed to running it under the tap).

How to prepare asparagus.

Every stem has a natural breaking place that will divide the fibrous end of the stem from the tender part. Hold one  end of the stem in either hand and apply gentle, even pressure as if trying to bend it. Eventually…snap! You have your two distinct parts. Don’t discard the tougher end! It makes great soups and stocks.

Unless you are cooking sprue, it’s worth peeling about a third of the stem above the place where it snapped. You can see the side shoots of the fern beginning to form on the stem. They look a bit like chevrons. Take a pairing knife or peeler and peel the skin up to where the second chevrons finish. Keep the peelings and add them to the base stems that you snapped off before.

The simplest way to cook and eat asparagus

All asparagus can be steamed or boiled just like peas or beans, then eaten the same way…how long you cook it for depends on how crunchy you like it. Just like peas and beans asparagus dulls if overcooked. Sprue needs little more than a couple of minutes. Medium will take three to four minutes and jumbo could require five or more.

if you eat dairy then a saucer or bowl of melted butter is a fine accompaniment. Olive oil is fantastic, too.

Roast Asparagus

Asparagus can be roasted or grilled lightly, this is especially good towards the end of the season and for larger stems. Roasting asparagus shrinks it a little so allow up to five or six stems per person, unless snacking. Toss the stems in a fairly generous glug of mild olive oil or, even better, cold pressed rapeseed oil, and season with a pinch of salt. Then lay them flat, in a large enough roasting tray for them to be single layer. Pre - heat the oven to 200c and just before popping them in, sprinkle them with water: simply run your hands under a tap then shake them dry over the spears. Roast them for ten minutes or so. When I cook asparagus this way I might season them with lemon juice and maybe some of the zest to compliment the oil and salt. Chopped mint or dill is great with this cooking method and so are capers. Nut dressings compliment asparagus beautifully. Hazelnuts are possibly the best match, closely followed by almonds.

If I had to choose just one dish that made the most of a bunch of asparagus it would be a risotto.

Asparagus Risotto

One of the best ways to eat this fine vegetable.

To serve two as dinner, four as a classic Italian “primo” or starter…

You need

A bunch or crown of asaparagus (usually weighs approx 450g)

1 litre stock or water

1 small or medium sized onion

1 stick celery

1 tbs mild olive or vegetable oil

100g risotto rice

100 ml white wine or 50 ml wine vinegar diluted with water to 100 ml (or, even better if you have it - a similar sized slosh of white vermouth like martini…)

1 tsp tomato purée

1 lemon

A handful of basil or parsley leaves (optional)

Salt to taste

50g butter, diced and kept cold.

50g mild, hard Italian cheese (not parmigiano which is a bit full on. A good granawill do. Comte wouldn’t go amiss either. Grate it finely and set it aside.

The dairy items above can be omitted in favour of a plant based garnish like extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil or, if you prefer, plant based cheese and butter.

Trim the asparagus as described above and, if you want to make the trimmings into an asparagus stock, add them to about a litre of water and set it to simmer, covered, for about forty minutes to an hour before you start the risotto. If you have longer, add the onion skin and any celery trimmings.

Dice the trimmed asparagus finely (you’re effectively cutting them into very thin rounds). Dice the onion and celery finely.

Warm the oil in a wide bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and celery and a pinch of salt. Give everything a stir. Then bring the oil and vegetables to a very gentle ‘fizzle’ (as opposed to a sizzle)! Sweat slowly. Don’t let the vegetables brown. If this looks like it’s in danger of happening add a splash of water. Or stock.

When the vegetables have softened add the rice, stir it through. Add the wine or vinegar and water mix.  Add another pinch of salt and the tomato purée. Stir everything together and begin to add some stock.  Add just a couple of ladles. Reduce the heat below the pan and allow the rice to simmer very, very gently. The water should just ‘blip’ more than anything.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add just another couple of ladles of stock and repeat the process. At some point the rice will start to look cooked and you can taste a couple of grains to see how al dente it is. How long this process takes depends to a certain extent on the freshness of the rice, so you really do need to taste for softness. keep staring staring gently - not manically - and keep adding stock only once what’s already in the pot gets absorbed . When the rice is nearly done you can add the diced asparagus add the lemon zest cook for another three minutes or so before removing the pan from the heat. At this point, if you’re using dairy, stir in the butter. Let it sit for a few moments, lid on. If you want to time it, let’s say three minutes. This seems odd but it brings a little magic to risotto that - if you’re lucky - Nonna (or someone similarly wise) told you about many moons ago. Forget it at your peril. Now you can whip off the lid, stir in the grated  grated cheese and serve up.