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Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
In New Hampshire, we are in the middle of the asparagus season, and
our three beds are keeping us and friends well supplied. We trade fat
spears of just cut asparagus for our neighbors’ eggs and are reminded
how much better each are than the well traveled supermarket offerings.
Although tiny squash, carrots and beans are particularly tender and full
of flavor, thin asparagus are from either immature or poorly producing
plants. The most tender and flavorful spears are, in fact, the thickest
which grow rapidly and have less chewy fiber. Before tiny vegetables
were featured in restaurants and food magazines, asparagus growers
often consigned the thin stalks to the compost; now, some specially
package these small spears to sell at a premium price! So, when visiting
your local farm stand or Farmers’ Market, choose large asparagus with
tight buds and then taste the difference in fresh, local produce.
My favorite way to prepare new asparagus is to simply sauté them in a
very hot pan with a sprinkle of lemon juice and either olive oil or butter.
The lemon juice accents the flavor and caramelizes as the asparagus
lightly browns.
Cook them only until they as crisp tender; even the best asparagus loses
it flavor when soft and over cooked. With friends coming to dinner, I
decided to add prosciutto to the mix, while still using olive oil and
lemon juice. Because I was going to sauté the fish course, which was
salmon picatta ( http://www.theheartofnewengland.
com/food/fish/salmon-picatta.html) , the asparagus would be pan
roasted in a 500 degree oven. The spears were peeled, so almost the
entire length was tender, with only the fibrous inch or so being
discarded. Four or five spears were wrapped in a single thin slice of
proscciutto, sprinkled with lemon juice and olive oil and placed in a
shallow sauté pan with a little dry white wine to add moisture.
The salty Italian ham is a perfect accent to the asparagus, and cooked
asparagus wrapped in prosciutto are served warm or at room
temperature is a popular spring antipasto in Italy.
Four servings:
4-5 asparagus spears per person
1 thin slice prosciutto per serving
Fresh lemon juice, approximately ¼ cup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Peel and trim fibrous root end from
asparagus and wrap 4-5 spears in a single slice of prosciutto. Place
bundles, seam side down in shallow sauté or frying pan which has been
oiled or spread with butter. Sprinkle bundles with the lemon juice and
dot with butter or sprinkle with olive oil.
Place pan over medium to high heat and bring wine to a boil. Place the
pan into the preheated oven, and roast until asparagus is just tender – a
knife tip or fork meets moderate resistance, but stalks are not hard.
Remove the pan from the oven and season lightly with salt (the ham adds
salt to the sauce) and a generous grind of black pepper. The asparagus
can be served hot, war or at room temperature. Divide pan juices over
each portion. A few drops of lemon juice and a drizzle of fine olive oil
are optional.
This simple preparation yields a formal presentation while
complementing, rather than obscuring, the great spring taste of fresh local
asparagus. Easily done ahead, it is appropriate as an appetizer (using
single spears), a first course or salad substitute, and as a main course
vegetable.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
In New Hampshire, we are in the middle of the asparagus season, and
our three beds are keeping us and friends well supplied. We trade fat
spears of just cut asparagus for our neighbors’ eggs and are reminded
how much better each are than the well traveled supermarket offerings.
Although tiny squash, carrots and beans are particularly tender and full
of flavor, thin asparagus are from either immature or poorly producing
plants. The most tender and flavorful spears are, in fact, the thickest
which grow rapidly and have less chewy fiber. Before tiny vegetables
were featured in restaurants and food magazines, asparagus growers
often consigned the thin stalks to the compost; now, some specially
package these small spears to sell at a premium price! So, when visiting
your local farm stand or Farmers’ Market, choose large asparagus with
tight buds and then taste the difference in fresh, local produce.
My favorite way to prepare new asparagus is to simply sauté them in a
very hot pan with a sprinkle of lemon juice and either olive oil or butter.
The lemon juice accents the flavor and caramelizes as the asparagus
lightly browns.
Cook them only until they as crisp tender; even the best asparagus loses
it flavor when soft and over cooked. With friends coming to dinner, I
decided to add prosciutto to the mix, while still using olive oil and
lemon juice. Because I was going to sauté the fish course, which was
salmon picatta ( http://www.theheartofnewengland.
com/food/fish/salmon-picatta.html) , the asparagus would be pan
roasted in a 500 degree oven. The spears were peeled, so almost the
entire length was tender, with only the fibrous inch or so being
discarded. Four or five spears were wrapped in a single thin slice of
proscciutto, sprinkled with lemon juice and olive oil and placed in a
shallow sauté pan with a little dry white wine to add moisture.
The salty Italian ham is a perfect accent to the asparagus, and cooked
asparagus wrapped in prosciutto are served warm or at room
temperature is a popular spring antipasto in Italy.
Four servings:
4-5 asparagus spears per person
1 thin slice prosciutto per serving
Fresh lemon juice, approximately ¼ cup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Peel and trim fibrous root end from
asparagus and wrap 4-5 spears in a single slice of prosciutto. Place
bundles, seam side down in shallow sauté or frying pan which has been
oiled or spread with butter. Sprinkle bundles with the lemon juice and
dot with butter or sprinkle with olive oil.
Place pan over medium to high heat and bring wine to a boil. Place the
pan into the preheated oven, and roast until asparagus is just tender – a
knife tip or fork meets moderate resistance, but stalks are not hard.
Remove the pan from the oven and season lightly with salt (the ham adds
salt to the sauce) and a generous grind of black pepper. The asparagus
can be served hot, war or at room temperature. Divide pan juices over
each portion. A few drops of lemon juice and a drizzle of fine olive oil
are optional.
This simple preparation yields a formal presentation while
complementing, rather than obscuring, the great spring taste of fresh local
asparagus. Easily done ahead, it is appropriate as an appetizer (using
single spears), a first course or salad substitute, and as a main course
vegetable.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
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