Podcast: Creole Asparagus

Creole Asparagus

Dedicated to Gus, the Theater Cat, from CATS! :-)

The Podcast (29:52, 27.3MB)

The Recipes

Lemon-Butter Roasted Asparagus

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, rinsed and dried
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 2 tbsps melted butter
* salt and cracked black pepper to taste
* 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small mixing bowl, toss asparagus with olive oil and butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until asparagus are tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Asparagus au Gratin

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

* 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
* salt and black pepper to taste
* 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
* 2 tbsps butter
* ¼ cup flour
* 1 cup milk
* ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tsps lemon juice
* ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 225°F. Add asparagus to a pan large enough to hold them lying flat. Cover asparagus with boiling water, and add salt to taste. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender. Carefully lift asparagus with a spatula, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid. Arrange asparagus with tips all pointing in one direction on a warm, ovenproof serving dish. Cover and keep warm in oven. Simmer mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of reserved asparagus liquid for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain and arrange over bottom half of asparagus. Cover and continue to keep warm while making sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Continue to cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in milk, cream, remaining asparagus liquid and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return sauce to heat; simmer and occasionally stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over mushrooms and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Asparagus tips should remain exposed. Cover exposed portion of asparagus with foil, and place dish under broiler 2-3 minutes or until sauce is browned.

Asparagus and Crawfish with Glazed Hollandaise

Ingredients
1 lb. asparagus woody ends cut off
1/2 cup chopped cooked crawfish tails
1 1/2 Tbs. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup hollandaise sauce (see below)

1. Bring a pan with about a half-inch of water to a slow boil and drop the asparagus in it. Let it cook for about three minutes. Then take them out of the boiling water being careful not to break them. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking and drain.
2. Heat the broiler. Arrange the asparagus in one row all parallel to one another on a broiling pan. Sprinkle the crawfish and the Parmesan cheese around the center of the asparagus. Pour the hollandaise over the center of the asparagus row leaving the tips clean.
3. Broil the asparagus until the hollandaise begins to glaze light brown on the top. Remove from the oven. Remove six to ten at a time wither topping intact using a metal spatula.
Serves four to eight.

Chicken With Crabmeat And Asparagus In Pastry

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, skinned and deboned
6 oz. Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
3 Tbs. chopped green onion, white part only
4 tsp. butter
Pinch Creole Seasoning
Puff pastry dough, cut into four sheets about 3 x 8
24 medium asparagus spears, lightly poached
3 eggs, beaten

Buerre blanc sauce:
4 oz. white wine
1 oz. lemon juice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. If necessary, trim the hard, woody parts of the asparagus and peel the bottom third. Bring a quart of lightly salted water to a boil and poach the asparagus until slightly tender but still crisp. Drain and set aside.
2. Pound the chicken breasts lightly to flatten. Top with the crabmeat, green onions, butter, and Creole seasoning.
3. Place the chicken atop puff pastry. Place the asparagus on either side of the breast, and roll up the puff pastry sheets tightly around the chicken.
4. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and place on a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until pastry is browned. Serve atop buerre blanc. For a richer dish, top with bearnaise sauce.
5. To make the buerre blanc, combine the wine and the lemon juice in a skillet and reduce by half. Lower the heat to a simmer and slowly whisk in the butter until it emulsifies into a translucent, creamy-looking sauce.

Serves four.