SPRING!

The farmers market just radiated that spring is here. Ramps, asparagus, garlic and leeks were in abundance. I could not resist a few bunches of purple-tipped asparagus and challenged myself to do something unique with them.

One of my favorite go-to cookbooks is “At Home in Provence” by Patricia Wells. Her theory is to buy fresh and do very little with the preparation of the vegetable. Her inspiration for this recipe comes from Paris chef, Alain Passard. Patrica Wells loves the slow braised method Alain suggests, which is the traditional Brittany way of preparing asparagus.

My preferred way to prepare Asparagus is to cook it on high heat in a cast iron pan coated with olive oil.

Braised Asparagus Recipe

4-6 servings

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lbs asparagus (trim ends)
Several sprigs of rosemary
2-3 fresh bay leaves
Coarse sea salt & pepper

In a large skillet, melt butter and add rosemary and bay leaves over medium heat.
Add asparagus and rotate as they cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Raise the heat and cook 1-2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low and rotate the asparagus as they cook for approximately 10-12 minutes or until tender.
Transfer to a platter with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve.

Note: You can substitute the butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil 🙂