How Gordon Ramsay Unlocks The Full Potential Of Asparagus

If Gordon Ramsay were able to speak to each one of us individually, he might try to impart some of his best cooking lessons. Or he might scream in our faces the way he does with TV chef wannabes. Either way, some of the things he might explain to us are the mistakes we're making when cooking with asparagus. For one thing, he avoids this ingredient at all costs when it's out of season, so he might get upset with anyone cooking it in wintertime. His main gripe, however, might be the fact that many people's go-to asparagus preparation method involves boiling or steaming, while he feels this vegetable is best cooked without the water that might otherwise absorb some of the flavor as well as the nutrients.

Ramsay's recipe for sautéed asparagus begins with trimming off the woody bit at the end of each stalk. The veggie is then cooked in a pan with oil and butter. It does get to steam a bit right at the end, although no pot of boiling water is involved. Instead, the asparagus stays in the pan after it's been deglazed with vegetable stock. Once the stove is turned off, it gets covered with foil, allowing it to cook in the residual heat. This low-moisture technique, Ramsay feels, helps to deepen the vegetable's flavor so you get the full asparagus experience.

Gordon Ramsay may serve his sautéed asparagus on its own as a simple side dish, but sometimes he likes it dressed in a vinaigrette made with Meyer lemons, honey, and shallots and served with smashed potatoes. He doesn't always sauté it, though, but may instead blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes and top it with tarragon-flavored hollandaise sauce. Other times, he might roast it in the oven with carrots and garlic, then serve it with plain yogurt, honey, feta cheese, and pistachios.

A more elaborate Ramsay recipe involves asparagus that is again simply blanched, then mixed with homemade potato gnocchi and smothered in a creamy parmesan sauce. Asparagus also plays a starring role in a Ramsay main dish of pan-fried chicken in a creamy sauce made with morel mushrooms. And the Scottish chef proved he has no fear of the old stereotype that "real men don't eat quiche" by providing a recipe for an asparagus, artichoke, and ham quiche for his 2009 cookbook entitled "Cooking With Friends." No matter if it's for brunch, lunch, or dinner, Ramsay continues to prove time and again that he is the asparagus master, whether or not water is involved.