I love asparagus, but I don’t like how it’s typically cooked. It’s steamed, oven-roasted, or sautéed…blah. I say there is a better way.
One day I was volunteering as a chef’s assistant in a cooking class. I clearly remember Chef Dan Witherspoon, of The Gourmet Spoon in Denver, Colorado, say that the best way to cook asparagus is to grill it. If you can’t grill it, broil it. It’s the next best thing to grilling.
Then once, during an annual ski weekend with my former college buddies, I was cooking batches of asparagus for dinner. People kept coming up to me and asking what I put in it because it tasted so good. I said, “Nothing special. It’s just quality oil and salt, and I broiled it.” People couldn’t believe how simple and delicious it was.
So, here is my “special,” super easy, and quick recipe for the best asparagus you can cook at home.
Watch how to prep asparagus for cooking, how to broil it, and enjoy! The written recipe is below.
Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed by hand (see tip below or watch the video)
3 tablespoons avocado oil (or any high-heat cooking fat)
Sea salt to taste (I prefer Himalayan pink sea for the minerals in it)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste, if desired
Directions
- Preheat the broiler.
- Place asparagus into a mixing bowl and drizzle with avocado oil. Use your hands to coat the spears with oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Arrange asparagus onto a broiler pan or baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure there is a bit of space between each spear.
- Broil for about 5 minutes. Flip over and broil for about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a serving plater immediately. Arrange asparagus in a single layer, otherwise, it will steam and become soggy.
- Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste if you’d like.
- Enjoy!
For thicker spears increase cooking time by a few minutes depending on the thickness. You may keep checking while the asparagus is cooking to ensure it doesn’t get charred. It should be slightly crispy, but not too brown.
TIP
Use your hands instead of a knife to trim your spears. Simply hold a spear with both hands on each side and bend it. The spear will naturally snap. Discard the tough end and use the tender portion of the spear.
You can tell by this recipe that I like to use my hands when working with food. They are the original kitchen tool!