The grill is a wonderful second kitchen, a summer kitchen if you will. We use ours almost every week – mostly for grilling meats, with the odd kebob thrown in the mix. There is nothing quite so delightful as the charred, crispy edges of chunks of pepper and onions combined with chicken or steak. This past weekend we stumbled on a concept that I am afraid Martha and Food52 and Bon Appétit have been gushing over for years: grilled vegetables. Specifically, grilled asparagus.
We were grilling a couple of steaks, and instead of using our usual modus operandi, the inside-under-the-broiler treatment, Best Beloved had the great idea of tossing the tender little asparagus spears right onto the hot, greased grill. We had coated the asparagus with lashings of good olive oil, some sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. After about four or five minutes over the medium heat, rolling them around to cook every inch, we plucked our trophies from the heat and devoured with gusto. Off the fire, onto the plate, and then into our plump little bellies.
Epicurious suggested using skewers, but life is pretty tame, so you should enjoy the roll-y experience of chasing the asparagus around the top of the grill with tongs. Think of the danger and thrills as you rescue a glistening emerald spear from the fiery abyss!
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Asparagus-103567
Here is Bon Appétit’s tried and true roasting recipe. As I say, we were being spontaneous and trying to improvise, our test kitchen not being quite as well-stocked as Bon Appétit’s…
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/roasted-asparagus
Food52 is fancier still, but it sounds like a charming recipe, which I am sure you will enjoy.
https://www.food52.com/recipes/3969_caesar_grilled_asparagus
And, of course, here is Martha’s take. Ours seems pretty basic compared to hers, but really, does the lily need so much gilding?
https://www.marthastewart.com/318771/grilled-asparagus-with-caramelized-shall
“Are you casting asparagus on my cooking?”
-Curly Howard
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