Asparagus With Sesame Butter Recipes

BUTTER-BRAISED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of the asparagus spears. If using large, thick asparagus, peel the lower ends with a vegetable peeler.
• Put butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the asparagus is firm-tender, about 3 minutes. Take care not to overcook them; they should still be bright green. (They will continue to cook a bit once the heat is off.) Remove the asparagus from the pan and place on a serving platter.
• Turn heat to high and simmer briskly until most of the liquid has evaporated, a minute or so. Add lemon juice and zest to the buttery juices. Turn off heat and stir in chives, parsley, tarragon and dill, if using. Check seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, garnish with a few herb leaves, and serve.

ASIAN ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Cut 1 bunch asparagus into thirds. Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut a 1-inch piece ginger into matchsticks, add to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 3 cups quartered shiitake mushroom caps and 1 sliced garlic clove and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and 1/3 cup water; bring to a boil, cover and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and butter; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

SESAME GARLIC ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the dry woody ends of the asparagus and discard.
• Place asparagus in large bowl and add sesame oil and minced garlic; toss to combine. Arrange spears on large baking sheet and generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Season with a good amount of salt and black pepper.
• Place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until spears reach desired consistency. They should still be a bit crisp. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plate to serve immediately.

SESAME ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Trim tough ends from asparagus spears. Set spears aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and half of the asparagus in a single layer.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without turning. Shake pan occasionally. Turn, and cook 3 minutes more. Asparagus should be bright green with brown spots.
• Add 1 tablespoon shallots and half the sesame seeds, and cook, shaking the pan to toss asparagus, for 1 to 2 minutes or until shallots are transparent. Do not let them burn.
• Add half the soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper, and cook 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Keep warm until ready to serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Place the asparagus in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a serving dish. Combine the water, soy sauce, oil, salt and pepper; drizzle over asparagus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

LEMON-SESAME ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Place the asparagus in a large pot filled with water 1 inch deep. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, but still bright green. This will take about 5 minutes, or longer if your asparagus spears are thick. Drain and place on a serving dish.
• Meanwhile, melt the margarine or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sesame seeds, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, pour sauce over the cooked asparagus.

SESAME GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a shallow pan, soak skewers in cold water for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.
• Preheat grill to high. Snap off the woody bases of the asparagus and discard. Skewer 4 or 5 asparagus spears together, using the toothpicks or 2 bamboo skewers, forming a raft shape.
• In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.
• When ready to cook, place the asparagus rafts on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds as they grill. You can serve the asparagus as rafts or unskewered.

CRUNCHY SESAME LEMON ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; cook and stir sesame seeds until lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper; stir until evenly combined.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add asparagus, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus to a serving plate and drizzle sesame-butter over the top.

ASPARAGUS SPEARS WITH SESAME

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and add some cold water. Place a colander squarely inside the ice bath. The colander will keep you from having to pick the asparagus out from amongst the ice cubes in the ice bath.
• Add salt until the boiling water tastes like seawater. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes - you want them to be crunchy. If the asparagus are thin, cook for only 1 minute. Remove the asparagus from the water with a strainer and transfer them to the colander inside the ice bath. Allow them to cool completely for a few minutes and then place them on a kitchen towel to drain any excess moisture.
• Toss the asparagus, sesame seeds, and the sauce together and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

SESAME GRILLED ASPARAGUS RAFTS

Steps:

• With one hand, hold an asparagus stalk at its base. Bend the stalk over with your other hand - the asparagus will break where the woody part ends and the tender part begins. Discard the base. Place 4 or 5 asparagus stalks next to one another. Skewer them crosswise in two places - just below the tips and 3cm from the bottom - with slender bamboo skewers. You will end up with something that looks like a raft.
• In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and sesame seeds and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.
• Grill the asparagus on a barbecue or in a griddle pan for 4-5 mins per side, turning with tongs. Sprinkle with sesame mix as they grill.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH HARD-COOKED EGGS AND SESAME SALT

Steps:

• Place eggs in a heavy pot. Cover with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, immediately reduce to a bare simmer, and cook eggs 9 minutes. Crack the shells and put in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread asparagus on a large baking sheet. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, and transfer to a platter.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the black and white sesame seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and toss with coarse sea salt.
• Peel the eggs and finely chop. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet and cook until it starts to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped eggs.
• To serve, spoon the egg mixture over the asparagus, then sprinkle with sesame salt and chives.

GRILLED SOY-SESAME ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat grill for high heat.
• In a bowl, mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar. Place asparagus in the bowl, and toss to coat.
• Lightly oil a fine-mesh grill grate. Place asparagus on grate, and cook 8 minutes, until tender but firm. Garnish with sesame seeds to serve.

SAUTEED GARLIC ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Trim any tough ends from the asparagus stalks. Cut into 1 inch pieces on the diagonal.
• Heat butter in a skillet and cook the asparagus about 1 minutes, tossing and shaking to cook evenly. Sprinkle with sugar and cook, while tossing, about 30 seconds more. Sprinkle with soy sauce and continue cooking another 30 seconds being careful not to overcook.
• Meanwhile heat the sesame seeds in a dry skillet also shaking and stirring. Remove from heat when they begin to turn golden.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds over asparagus and serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN BUTTER

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Arrange asparagus on broilerproof platter.Preheat broiler. Beat butter in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in cheese, basil, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drop butter mixture by teaspoonfuls over asparagus.
• Broil asparagus until topping browns, watching closely to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.