Boiled asparagus
Serves 4
All asparagus-cooking pots are silly. What you need is a deep skillet, so the spears cook flat. Once they’re tender—and they take only a minute or two—serve them hot with hollandaise sauce (see above recipe) or serve at room temperature sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Salt, to taste
1 pound asparagus
1. Fill a large, deep skillet with salted water. Bring it to a boil. Meanwhile,
snap off the fibrous ends of the asparagus: Hold the stem end of a stalk in one hand and the middle in the other. Bend the asparagus and let it break where it snaps naturally. Discard the stem end.
Repeat with remaining stalks.
2. Drop stalks into the water and cook for 1 to 2minutes or until
they are bright green and tender.
3. Remove the spears from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Transfer to a platter and serve.
