Finally, Spring Has Arrived And With It Comes The Tasty Spears Of Asparagus

Maybe I get so silly about asparagus every year because it’s the first culinary sign of spring.

After months of carrots, cabbages, potatoes and beets, the sight of those slender green spears makes me giddy. The sweet, grassy flavor is a harbinger of all the fresh produce to come.

I’ve been feasting on briefly steamed spears bathed in butter, but Easter dinner calls for something a bit fancier.

Over the years I’ve tried asparagus soup, asparagus custard and asparagus sandwiched between puff pastry, but the pure flavor of the asparagus gets lost when it’s gussied up too much. So this year I’ll serve steamed spears lightly dressed with brown butter and sprinkled with a few toasted walnuts - fancy, but with the emphasis still squarely on the asparagus.

Most gourmands claim that thin spears are the most tender. I agree - if the asparagus comes from a patch in the back yard. But thin asparagus spears lose their moisture rapidly and turn wrinkly and tough, so for well-traveled California spears, I say the fatter the better.

Even fat spears age and die, though. Packages of over-the-hill asparagus are sold all the time in supermarkets, although heaven knows who buys them. The savvy sort through the produce case, looking for the asparagus with the smoothest stalks. Wrinkles are a sign of moisture loss and age. So are tips that are unfurled and dry-looking.

I used to sort people into asparagus peelers and nonpeelers, figuring the peelers were either effete food snobs or had way too much time on their hands. But I’ve become a peeler, and of course it now makes sense.

Peeling the bottom fourth or third of the asparagus stalk allows you to eat the whole thing, with no stringy fibers sticking in your teeth. The entire stalk seems more tender when the bottom is peeled.

To peel asparagus, first cut off the white, very hard part (if any) at the bottom. Then either use a sharp paring knife or a potato peeler to take off the outer green layer of skin a short way up the stalk. Some great new potato peelers are on the market these days that make short work of the job. If you haven’t bought a new one for a decade or so, you’ll be surprised at how they’ve improved.

Cook the asparagus quickly in a small amount of water. The cooking time should be three minutes or less, depending on the thickness of the stalks. I place the spears in a wide skillet with about one-half inch of water, clap on a lid and turn the heat to high. After a couple of minutes, I test a spear with a fork. The fork should slide in easily, but the asparagus should not be mushy. There’s only about 30 seconds of leeway between too crisp and too soft, so watch the pot closely.

Refreshing the asparagus briefly under cold, running water turns the spears a bold green. Return to the pan, set over low heat and shake the pan to evaporate any remaining water and warm the asparagus again.

The topping of brown butter and toasted walnuts can be made well in advance. The walnuts are roasted in a single layer on a cookie sheet, the rubbed between dish towels to remove the skins. Brown butter is made by melting butter in a saucepan or skillet and pouring off the clear butter, leaving the white solids behind. The clarified butter then is heated until it turns brown. If the white solids were left in, they would burn and speckle the butter with bitter black dots.

The brown butter can be reheated briefly in the microwave just before serving.

Asparagus With Brown Butter

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1 pound asparagus

Melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat. Slowly pour the butter into a custard cup or small bowl, leaving white solids in the pan. With a spoon, remove any white solids from the small bowl of clarified butter.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and return butter to pan. Place over medium heat and cook until butter turns a golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Spread walnut pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until brown. Remove from oven and rub between kitchen towels to remove most of the skins. Break walnuts into small pieces and set aside.

Peel bottom third or fourth of asparagus stalks. Just before serving, place spears in a wide skillet and add about 1/2-inch hot water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until spears are tender but not mushy. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain.

Return to skillet and shake over low heat briefly to remove moisture. Place asparagus on a serving plate. Drizzle brown butter over asparagus and top with toasted walnuts.

Yield: 4 servings.