Although cooking asparagus is simplicity itself, there are three important rules.
- Choose freshly cut asparagus. You can tell how fresh it is by looking at the cut ends.
- You should peel them with a swivelling potato peeler. When you are sure that they are properly peeled, remove any small loose leaves around the heads, wash them and tie them together in bundles of 8 or 10 spears. Trim them to an equal length of 18 cm (7 in).
- Overcooked asparagus loses its flavour. We advise cooking it for about 13 to 18 minutes, according to how thick it is.