Steamed Asparagus

Name: Steamed Asparagus
Total time: PT-496089H58M10S
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds asparagus; Salt; 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or to taste; Juice of 1 lemon; Freshly ground black pepper

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 10 to 15 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds asparagus
Salt
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Trim the bottoms from the asparagus and peel them if they’re thick. Stand the stalks upright in a stockpot, letting them lean against the sides at an angle. Add enough water to come 1 inch up the sides of the pan and a large pinch of salt. Cover and put the pot over high heat.
When the water boils, cook the asparagus for 2 minutes, then check them for the first time. They’re ready when you can easily pierce the thick part of the stalks with a fork; this takes anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the asparagus are.
Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter with tongs, shaking them over the pot to remove excess water. Smear them with the butter (or drizzle with the olive oil) and sprinkle with lemon juice, more salt, and some pepper, then serve.

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Recipe variations

Steamed Asparagus with Eggs: Fry, poach, or hard-boil 4 eggs. After you drizzle the spears with butter, put the eggs on top. Skip the lemon juice and try 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves for garnish if you’ve got some.