• Queezle Sister April 2011

  My husband brought white asparagus home from the market yesterday. Having never prepared the white variety before, I am hoping for suggestions that will showcase it. Also, is it right that the white needs to be peeled?
  Any advice is welcome!
• aj12754 April 2011

  http://www.finecooking.com/item/29833/asparagus
  
  http://www.finecooking.com/item/5046/asparagus
  
  These may be helpful -- I have never cooked with the white asparagus, but I generally find the FC articles useful when I am working with a new ingredient.
  
  Since white asparagus is milder in flavor and more tender than green or purple, I wouldn't think you would need to peel it. It can be used in any recipe calling for asparagus. Then again, I never peel asparagus no matter what color it is so you might want to take what I say with a grain of salt.
  
  Hope you will post and let us know how you ended up using the white asparagus.
• friederike April 2011

  Definitely peel the white asparagus! Unpeeled white asparagus has the consistency of straw, not recommended. I usually peel with a normal vegetable peeler. And cut the lower ends, about 1 cm (0.4 inch). Cook for about 10 min in salted water (check after 8 min or so if they are soft). Everything else I've described in this post. And enjoy!
• Queezle Sister April 2011

  Alas, my dear husband cooked up the white asparagus before me. He wrapped it in proscuitto and grilled. A bit tough, and really tasted like the prosciutto, not asparagus. A
• aj12754 May 2011

  Well -- a little late -- but this is a good article on asparagus -- and many many ways to serve it ---from Mark Bittman at the NYT.
• friederike May 2011

  Well, prosciutto was a good idea :)
  I've never had grilled asparagus - how was that? Did he blanch the asparagus before grilling it? And did he peel it?
  Cooked white asparagus can hold up against prosciutto, grilled might be different.
• Queezle Sister May 2011

  He did blanch it, wrap it, and grilled it. It tasted pretty good, a big tough tough.
  I'll look at that Mark Bittman article - thanks!
  I lived in Germany (Pottsdam) for 6 months, and in the spring I was impressed by all the little stands with white asparagus. I was very poor, and didn't buy any - both $$ and for lack of understanding of how to cook it. I will most definitely try it again, as I really love the spring green asparagus. Thank you both so much. LL/QS
• andrew May 2011

  Here's a link to the Bittman Asparagus article. I've been thinking asparagus lately as it's just coming into season where I am. This looks like a comprehensive guide...
  
  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01Eat-t.html
  
  Oh, and I do like grilled asparagus. It's quite simple for green asparagus, just toss in some oil and sprinkle a little salt and then grill or broil for a few minutes until it's done. I don't peel or blanch the green asparagus, though I do snap off the ends.
• Queezle Sister May 2011

  That is an amazing asparagus article - thanks so much for providing the link. I especially enjoyed Bittman's discussion of thin versus thick. I, too, am typically drawn to the very finest of think asparagus, but recently surprised myself by enjoying very much some thick spears. I wish there was better labeling at the stores - so I could know when its actually truly local.

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