White Asparagus

I have received in excess of 160 now 2,300 "hits" on roasted white asparagus and it's preparation. That leads me to believe further investigate the subject is warrented and to render an analysis and consensus on the subject.
White asparagus is grown "white" by excluding light from the stalks as they grow. Dirt is mounded around the emerging stalk, preventing the plant from producing chlorophyll; thus there is no green color to the stalks. To my intuition, this process simply extends that "white stump" at he base of green asparagus that is snapped off as the tough part of the stalk. Following that line of reasoning, the only tender part would be the tip. Even peeling the white stalks, they continue to be tougher then green.

It has been said in the literature that: "White asparagus is considered to be slightly milder in flavor and a bit more tender than green asparagus." which I emphatically reject. Perhaps the writer has an "inn" with growers in Germany, where the best are grown and the main source of the larger stalks that do tend to be more tender.

Asparagus in General is a member of the lily family, also includes onions, leeks and garlic.

Skip the white and go for the green or better yet try the Purple.

Purple Asparagus

Purple asparagus (also known as Burgundy asparagus) has a mild, nutty flavor and is sweeter than green asparagus because it has about 20% more sugar. It is grown just as green asparagus but is so tender, it can be served raw. It does however turn green when cooked.

Preparation:

Use a potato or vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the stalk. Then cut off ½ to 1" from the base. Rinse thoroughly to dislodge any sand or grit.

From here, either roast, boil, stir-fry, steam or grill the stalks. BUT The best recommendation for white spears is to boil them. Asparagus have a short cooking time of a few minutes.

Choosing Asparagus:

A common misconception is that thin spears are young shoots and therefore more tender. The fact is the thicker the spears, the more tender they will be, especially with white spears. Stay away from he bundles of "grass" as they are the first picking and tend to be stringy.

Asparagus can best be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days. Place about a ½ cup of water in a plastic bag, stand the spears in it, seal the bag and put it in the refrigerator door in an upright position.

Traditional Chicken Picatta

I have a break before I start Chemo, so I thought I'd follow through on my former promise of a Picatta recipe. The concept of Picatta is: meat, thinly sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices, usually parsley -- but Never add white wine as it will destroy the delicate sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (3/4 pound total)
1/2 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp butter unsalted (divided)
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp brined capers
2 Tbsp fresh parsley


PREPARATION:
Wash the breasts removing any fat and sinews; also remove the thin membrane covering the breasts.. Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat hammer to barely 1/4-inch thickness.

Mix together the flour, and pepper. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Wash the parsley, shaking off the water; cut the leaves from the stem and chop. Drain and rinse the capers. Juice the lemon.

COOKING: Sauté

Set a heavy bottomed sauté pan over high heat heat and heat 'till the rim is warm to the touch. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter and Heat. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the burner and transfer the chicken to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil tent to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

Add the chicken stock , lemon juice, ½ the parsley and capers to the pan. Return to the burner and bring to boil, use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Reduce the sauce by half, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to a semi heavy consistency. Plate the chicken and spoon the sauce over the breasts. Sprinkle with parsley.