BURNT GARLIC ASPARAGUS
Fresh steamed asparagus, chilled, then when ready to serve sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, burnt garlic, smoked paprika, pink Himalayan salt and fresh grind black pepper! That’s it. Easy. You won’t want to pass this gem of a recipe by!
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
1-1/3 lbs. fresh asparagus spears – wash, bend off lower third of stalks and discard, steam till tender but not mush, drain then immediately chill in refrigerator, covered, until ready to use
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
about 5 lg. cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
sprinkling of garlic powder
sprinkling of smoked paprika
pink Himalayan salt to taste
fresh grind black pepper to taste
I buy fresh asparagus every week, steam them so they don’t go bad – since tips as you know rot quickly when not used right away – then cover and refrigerate till I have a need for them. Often times I end up eating these tender spears right out of the refrigerator as a healthy snack.
This time I decided to make a recipe. An easy one, but still top shelf.
Okay, remove asparagus from refrigerator.
In large skillet, over medium-low heat, melt olive oil.
Add garlic and cook till lightly browned.
Add asparagus spears, rolling in oil till coated.
Sprinkle the asparagus with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Continue to roll in oil till spices dissolve, then cook till garlic scents the air and browns a little more – not so burned that it turns to ashes, but significantly browned, whereby most chefs would throw it away because of its pungent flavor. We keep it.
Remove from heat and either serve right away or refrigerate for service later, then reheat in microwave or in same skillet. Drizzle a little more oil while reheating if you like.
Plate and serve.
Notes: Smoked paprika makes this dish extra special, so go shopping and find it or shop online.
CHEF DAVIES-TIGHT™ 