Asparagus

Appears in
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About
  • Identification: Spear-shaped new shoot or stem that emerges from the plant’s roots in the spring. The pointed spear-tip sprouts branches when the shoot is allowed to grow.
  • Related Varieties: White asparagus is the same plant as green, but soil is mounded over the shoots, protecting them from the sun so they do not turn green. In Europe, white asparagus is more common than green. The flavor is milder than that of green, although North American white asparagus is usually more bitter than European. Purple asparagus turns dark green when cooked. It is tender and sweet.
  • Evaluation: Look for tightly closed tips; firm, not withered, stalks. For white asparagus, buy only product that has been kept chilled for its entire storage time; unchilled white asparagus becomes fibrous.
  • Preparation: Break off woody lower ends. Remove lower scales, which may harbor sand, or peel lower part of stalk. Figure 10.3 shows an alternative method. Cut tips to uniform lengths and/or tie them in bundles for cooking. White asparagus should be peeled the entire length of the stalk. Purple asparagus needs no peeling; just trim the bottoms.
  • Percentage Yield: 55% (green, peeled)