Rinse the asparagus well, & simply snap the lower white woody sections of the stems off before cooking - as these parts are usually tough & tasteless ! 
The asparagus turns a gorgeous green colour once cooked, & goes beautifully with a Mustard SauceI adore fresh asparagus, even though we rarely get it here. When I do see it on our shelves though, I snap it up – you really can’t compare it to the tinned stuff !
Don’t be daunted by the thought of cooking fresh asparagus, it’s as easy as cooking any other vegetable (I do not bother with things like tying it with string, cooking it upright in a pot etc & it still turns out just fine !)
I like eating my fresh asparagus just like that – as fresh as possible. Quickly boiled, & served with a nice sauce (& sometimes even a poached egg on the side -for a light yet filling lunch).
Below is a recipe for an easy mustard sauce which I came up with one day. Another great way to serve it is with plain lemon juice, and/or butter or even a Hollandaise sauce. But this quick mustard sauce is much simpler !
Fresh Asparagus with a Mustard Sauce
Bunch of Asparagus, washed & bottom part of stems removed
2 tbsp Flour
5 tsp Mustard (or to taste)
pinch of Salt
¾ tsp Mustard Seeds (if not using Wholegrain Mustard)
1 ¼ cups Milk
Wash the asparagus spears and snap off the bottom parts of the stems (these are usually a pale green/white colour), as these tend to be quite woody & tough to eat. Place in a saucepan in rapidly boiling water, reduce to a fast simmer and boil for +- 15 minutes, uncovered, until the asparagus is tender. (I do not add salt to my water, but you can if you wish).
Meanwhile, mix the flour, mustard, salt, mustard seeds & a bit of the milk (a tablespoon or two) together in a small saucepan to make a smooth paste. Bring the remainder of the milk to the boil & once boiled, pour over the flour/mustard paste mixture & bring to a simmer whilst stirring continuously. Cook for around 10 minutes.
Once cooked, remove the asparagus from the water, drain in a colander and serve whilst still warm with the Mustard Sauce poured over it.
This is great served as a light lunch, with a poached egg on the side !
Don’t be daunted by the thought of cooking fresh asparagus, it’s as easy as cooking any other vegetable (I do not bother with things like tying it with string, cooking it upright in a pot etc & it still turns out just fine !)
I like eating my fresh asparagus just like that – as fresh as possible. Quickly boiled, & served with a nice sauce (& sometimes even a poached egg on the side -for a light yet filling lunch).
Below is a recipe for an easy mustard sauce which I came up with one day. Another great way to serve it is with plain lemon juice, and/or butter or even a Hollandaise sauce. But this quick mustard sauce is much simpler !
Fresh Asparagus with a Mustard Sauce
Bunch of Asparagus, washed & bottom part of stems removed
2 tbsp Flour
5 tsp Mustard (or to taste)
pinch of Salt
¾ tsp Mustard Seeds (if not using Wholegrain Mustard)
1 ¼ cups Milk
Wash the asparagus spears and snap off the bottom parts of the stems (these are usually a pale green/white colour), as these tend to be quite woody & tough to eat. Place in a saucepan in rapidly boiling water, reduce to a fast simmer and boil for +- 15 minutes, uncovered, until the asparagus is tender. (I do not add salt to my water, but you can if you wish).
Meanwhile, mix the flour, mustard, salt, mustard seeds & a bit of the milk (a tablespoon or two) together in a small saucepan to make a smooth paste. Bring the remainder of the milk to the boil & once boiled, pour over the flour/mustard paste mixture & bring to a simmer whilst stirring continuously. Cook for around 10 minutes.
Once cooked, remove the asparagus from the water, drain in a colander and serve whilst still warm with the Mustard Sauce poured over it.
This is great served as a light lunch, with a poached egg on the side !
