Griddled asparagus with miso dressing
I hated asparagus as a child because I only ever knew it from a tin. Sludge-coloured, stringy, pappy and limp, my grandparents in Australia regularly served it as an accompaniment to salad. Vile. I didn’t taste proper fresh asparagus until I moved to the UK - and what an eye-opener that was. Maybe it’s the climate or the TLC that goes into growing it here - asparagus takes years of nurturing before it offers up the first emerald spears, which are said to be able to grown 6 inches in a day - but very fresh British asparagus is pretty hard to beat.
Sweet and slightly grassy in taste, the best way to cook asparagus is gently steam it, then drown it in butter, add lots of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. That’s it. But there are other delicious ways too. Steamed asparagus served with a foaming hollandaise and a poached egg is a magnificent breakfast, as is a boiled egg with asparagus soldiers for dunking. Toss asparagus in a a risotto with freshly podded peas, beans and lots of freshly grated lemon zest for the perfect risotto primavera. Or don’t bother cooking it all: make asparagus shavings with a vegetable peeler and sprinkle raw in salad, or dunk uncooked spears in aioli and gobble raw as a crudites.
Asparagus is fantastic cooked on the BBQ or griddle as it takes on a lovely smokey flavour - I don’t bother steaming the spears first if they are very young and tender, although it might be wise with the fatter, tougher specimens. Just brush the spears with oil, place directly on the hot bars of the grill and allow them to char before turning. You could easily cook the recipe below on a BBQ but as we speak the weather holds no promise for outside cooking, so I’ve done it in griddle pan. You could use a simple vinaigrette instead of the miso dressing, but it’s lovely for something different.
- 1 tablespoon red miso paste
- 30ml (1¼fl oz) rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dashi or stock
- ½ teaspoon wasabe paste
- ½ small garlic clove, grated on a Microplane
- ½ teaspoon very finely grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, ground in a mortar
- 60ml (2fl oz) vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
- 20 fresh asparagus spears
- Combine the miso, vinegar, soy sauce and dashi in a bowl and mix well to amalgamate, pressing down on the miso paste with the back of a spoon to break it down.
- Stir in the wasabe, garlic, ginger and ground sesame seeds until smooth. Very gradually add the oil, whisking as you go, until emulsified.
- Heat a non-stick griddle pan until very hot, brush with a little oil, and cook the asparagus, turning frequently, until tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving plate and spoon over some of the dressing, according to taste.
