I am a self declared asparagus hater except when it comes to this particular recipe. Because lemon and butter make everything taste better, including asparagus. I got the inspiration for this recipe from green bean almandine where green beans are cooked with lemons, butter and crispy almonds to make a delicious green bean dish. The same flavors are applied here to asparagus and work well!

What is Blanching?

Blanching is a cooking technique where food, usually vegetables or fruits, is briefly boiled in water and then quickly cooled in ice water. This is great for green vegetables because it keeps their colors bright green instead of turning a brown when cooking. We use it here for this reason, and so the asparagus is par cooked already.

@kellyscleankitchen

How to cook the best asparagus #asparagus #vegetables #cooking

♬ original sound – Chef Kelly Scott
  • SERVINGS:  4
  • PREP TIME: 10 Mins
  • ACTIVE TIME: 20 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 Min

Ingredients:

  • 1 bu asparagus, bottoms trimmed off
  • salt
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1/2 lemon, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Bring a pot of water up to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the asparagus and blanch until they are fork tender but still al dente, around 2-4 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Dry and set aside.

STEP 2.

In a pan over medium heat, add the butter. Once it is melted and bubbly, stir in the shallot, lemon slices and slivered almonds. Cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring constantly to toast the almonds. Season with salt as you go. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

STEP 3.

Add the asparagus and stir to incorporate flavors. Season with salt and 1/2 lemon, juiced. Cook for 2-3 minutes to flavor and then turn off the heat.

STEP 4.

Serve and enjoy!

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