James Silverton wrote:
> I agreed with earlier posts on short cooking times for asparagus. IMHO,
> less than 5 minutes is quite enough but I note from posts in
> rec.food.recipes that others like to cook it to death. I just remembered
> a Roman description of a very short time: "As long as it takes to cook
> asparagus", so it looks like there is historical justification for my view.
>
> I wonder if there is any consensus on cooking methods? I just boil it in
> water but I note that some advise steaming, sometimes by keeping it in
> bundles with the flowers out of the water and cooking it on a grill was
> also mentioned. For preparation, if the asparagus is pencil thin as I
> prefer it, I can just snap off the tough part without much wastage but I
> use a peeler to remove a few inches of green skin if the spears are thick.
>
> What dipping sauces do others recommend? I generally like just lemon and
> a sprinkling of parmesan but a lot of others work well like mayonnaise
> with parmesan and lemon etc.
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not


I think roasting or broiling (even grilling) is the best way to bring
out the flavor of asparagus. Adding water to the equation just seems to
dilute the sweetness and flavor

Melondy