Asparagus is a delicious vegetable which has a mild, grassy taste with a slight bitterness. The flavour can vary depending on how it’s cooked, with roasting and grilling intensitifying the flavour.
Overcooked asparagus can become mushy and sulfurous, so it’s important to cook it properly in order to retain its delicate flavour. While there are many ways to cook the vegetable, the experts at Good Food advised Brits to avoid boiling it. The pros also shared how to prepare the vegetables properly.
They explained: “Break off any woody ends by bending the asparagus spears until they snap at their natural breaking point.
“Trim off any uneven ends with a sharp knife. Asparagus can be cooked in various ways.
“Roasting it in the oven is a hands-off method almost guaranteed to give you a juicy interior and crispy exterior, making it a great addition to salad or grain bowls. However, it can take longer than other methods and may dry out if overcooked.”
While boiling on the hob is one of the quickest and easiest methods, it can become soggy, and you may lose most of the nutrients. Other cooking methods include griddling and steaming.
However, the best flavour may come from roasting, and the experts have shared how to properly roast the vegetable for the perfect results.
The experts said: “Roasting asparagus is one of the easiest ways to cook this vegetable. Simply drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven.”
Heat the oven to 200C or 180C fan before snapping any woody tips off. Place on a roasting tray, drizzle with some oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Roast for just 12 minutes until tender but with a slight crunch on the outside. Serve with your chosen dish for a tasty and healthy side dish.
If you’re not planning on using the vegetable as soon as you purchase it, it’s super important to store it correctly.
To do so, the experts recommended wrapping it in damp kitchen paper before putting it in a paper bag and keeping it in the crisper drawer within the fridge.
This method will help to keep it fresh for “up to five days”, so make sure to use it within this time.
The pros added: “You can also store it in a glass or jug of cold water in the fridge, with a loose covering on top.”
