VelvetGrilled Asparagus
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Asparagus spears briefly steamed until just shy of tender, chilled in iced water, then tossed with olive oil and marked on a hot grill. The quick steam means the spears cook through evenly while the grill adds smoky char.
None of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Steam. Bring 2-3 cm of water to the boil in the pot. Put the asparagus in the steamer basket, lower it into the pot, cover and steam over medium-high heat for about 4 min for medium spears, until bright green and slightly undercooked.
- 2
Chill. Lift the spears straight into the large bowl filled with iced water to stop the cooking, so they stay bright green and crisp-tender.
- 3
Dry and season. Heat the barbecue to medium-hot (or the griddle pan over high heat). Lift the asparagus out of the water and pat it dry with paper towels, then toss it with the oil, salt and pepper.
- 4
Grill. Lay the spears across the grill bars and grill for about 2 min per side, turning with tongs, until marked and hot through. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Storage
Best eaten the day it is made, hot or at room temperature. Refrigerate covered up to 2 days and serve cold or at room temperature with a dressing. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why it's healthy
3.1 g protein for 58 kcal = 5.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 21% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the EU condition. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low energy: 39 kcal per 100 g (limit ≤ 40 kcal)
- Low fat: 2.4 g fat per 100 g (limit ≤ 3 g)
- Low saturated fat: 0.3 g saturated fat per 100 g, 7.8% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 1.8 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
- High fibre: 5.2 g fibre per 100 kcal (needs ≥ 3 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 147 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
Free sugars: 0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g (WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
Equipment
- large pot with lid
- steamer basket
- large bowl
- paper towels
- tongs
- barbecue or ridged griddle pan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 58 kcal |
| Protein | 3.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.5 g |
| of which sugars | 2.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 3.5 g |
| of which saturates | 0.5 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Salt | 0.73 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.3 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
