Though they are roasted rather than fried, these spears of asparagus are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and completely addictive just like French fries. Hence the name asparagus fries! When asparagus is in season, I make this recipe nearly once a week. This is a very versatile side dish, able to accompany practically any meal. Sometimes I even make it as a healthy midday snack to temporarily supplant my potato chip habit. This recipe works fine for both thin and thick asparagus; the thinner spears turn out quite crispy and the thick ones are softer, but both gain a wonderful flavor from roasting. Feel free to expand the recipe to include garlic, lemon, herbs or any other additional touches you like.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
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Roasted Salmon
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Asparagus Fries
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Fresh Bread

Ingredients

2 bunches of asparagus
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the tough bottom sections off of the asparagus. Rinse in water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the asparagus on a heavy, rimmed baking sheet and drizzle liberally with olive oil (a few tablespoons should be enough). Toss lightly to coat with the oil and then spread the asparagus evenly out on the sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn the asparagus spears over with tongs to prevent them from sticking. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the asparagus is crispy at the tips and slightly browned. Remove from the oven, season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

Makes 6 servings

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Here is an easy way to trim asparagus: Pick up a stalk and hold it with one hand at the top and one at the bottom. Bend it gently until it breaks. The point where it breaks naturally is the point which divides the tough, inedible bottom part from the tender top section. Do this for each stalk.

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