The Day the Asparagus Died

Setting: I have to say that am really enjoy this Julia Child project. First of all, the pace that I have set is quite comfortable (he says, only 5 days into an 846 day project). Also Julia does a wonderful job of explaining everything in great detail. Anyways, Last night was once again a good night to cook. Even though I got home much later than usual, the quiche that Lori fixed had to cook for a while in the oven, so I had plenty of time to do my side dish.

Task: Asperges au Naturel (Boiled Asparagus) and Beurre au Citron (Lemon Butter Sauce).

Julia gives in-depth instructions on what type of asparagus to purchase and also how to prepare them prior to cooking. Before boiling, each spear of asparagus is to be peeled. This, apparently is the French way. It gives a fancier presentation and also removes any tough texture that can be found on the outer skin. Once peeled, the spears are then bundled together and boiled in salted water for about 12 minutes.

The sauce is a quite simple sauce. Lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper are boiled down. Next, a stick of butter (chopped into pieces and added a piece at a time) is whisked into the mixture. When it is time to serve, 2 tb of hot water are mixed into the sauce.

Verdict: Well, I have to start with another reprimand to myself. Thinking back to the crème anglaise and how I failed to heed the words of Julia Child when she warned me about looking away, I must say that I ignored her instructions once again. As i mentioned earlier, she gives very detailed instructions about shopping and prep work. Below is an exerpt from the asparagus section in her book:

"Select firm, crisp stalks, moist at the cut end, and with tips which are compact and closed. Fat spears are just as tender as thin spears; as long as asparagus must be peeled, the fat ones are easier to handle and less wasteful."

Unfortunately when I went to the store, I only saw thin spears of asparagus. I thought to myself, "Well, it will be okay. Maybe she was just being picky." To anyone who reads this, trying to peel thin asparagus will result in disaster. You will destroy more stalks than you will be able to use. I have posted a picture to show how much I was able to salvage out of the whole bunch. Quite sad...

I do have to admit that I felt sad peeling those poor vegetables. Julia said it was the "best" way to do it; however, once I finished, they looked anorexic. It was as if I was saying, "Hello asparagus. You are not as skinny as these other asparagus. Why don't I perform plastic surgery on you so that you can be popular like the others. Come on. Everyone else is doing it." Okay, maybe I am getting a little too close to my food ingredients. I probably should not give them personalities.

Moving on...

Once the veggies were peeled, the rest was easy. I simply boiled them, made the sauce, and spooned it over them. Lori and I both said that this was one of our favorite ways to serve asparagus. It was very good, and had i not killed over half the bundle during the peeling process, the portions would have been much bigger. I will say that the strength of the lemon juice in the sauce was quite surprising. It was very dominant but very tasty.