Asparagus with Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. asparagus
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt for the water
- 1/4 lb. Prosciutto - thin slices
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 8 tablespoons butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Clean asparagus - cutoff ends. Put in boiling salted water bring to a boil - cover and cook for 5 minutes. Lift out with tongs and drain on paper towels.
- Divide asparagus into bundles, wrap each bundle with 2 strips of Prosciutto securing with a toothpick.
- Butter a cookie sheet. Line up the bundles, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, put in hot oven for 3 minutes.
- Melt butter in a saucepan - put bundles on warm platter and pour melted butter over them.
From the Colander to the Classroom
Educational Experience with Chef Emily
Asparagus
The ancient Greeks enjoyed wild asparagus, but it was not until the Roman period that we know it was cultivated as food. History tells us that even Julius Caesar liked to eat it with melted butter.
There are many varieties of asparagus and many different ways of raising it too. Spanish and some Dutch asparagus is white with ivory tips; it is grown under mounds of soil and cut just as the tips begin to show. The purple variety is mostly grown in France. In contrast, the American and English asparagus grows above the ground and the spears are entirely green. Arguments abound over which has the better flavor, with most growers expressing a preference for their own!
Asparagus has a relatively short growing season, from late spring to early summer. When buying, the tips should be tightly furled and fresh looking, and the stalks fresh and straight. Unless the asparagus comes straight from the garden, cut off the bottom of the stalk as it is usually hard and woody. If the bottom parts of the stem also feel hard, pare this away with a potato peeler.
The problem with cooking asparagus is that the stalks take longer to cook than the tender tips, which need to be only briefly steamed. Place spears, with the tips upward, in any steamer and cover and cook until the stalks are tender. Asparagus can also be roasted in a little olive oil. This intensifies the flavor and is unbelievably simple. Serve with just a sprinkling of sea salt.
Asparagus provides vitamins A, B2 and C and is also a good source of potassium, iron, and calcium. Delicious!
*Information modified from Five-a-Day Fruit and Vegetable Cookbook
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