Toast Soup and Chicken in Milk notwithstanding, I swear I don't just find the craziest-sounding recipes and call them genius. But is my interest piqued, my little genius whiskers set a-quiver? Oh, sure.
So when I saw what seemed like the oddest yet — Alice B. Toklas' Asparagus in Whipped Cream — I had to try it, even though I thought, rather smugly, that it would be terrible.
It sounded like a complete lark, making sense from a person whose most famous recipe is hashish fudge. I couldn’t have known how good it would turn out to be.
Set the grassy pop of asparagus against something rich and mellow and it tastes even more vibrantly green — we’ve done this plenty of times with hollandaise and aioli and poached eggs.
Salted and peppered whipped cream is a little like that, but easier to make than any of them, lighter in form, and arguably springier. I bet we would do well to plop it on all kinds of peas too, corn in summer, and hardier greens in fall.
Toklas allows you to either steam or boil the asparagus, then pour over a dribble of warmed cream and butter before spooning the whipped cream over the top. That extra shot of cream and butter may seem excessive but a) have you seen this recipe? b) the sauce is now even more savory c) look how pretty it is!
I’ve generally steamed the asparagus in the manner I learned from my father — in a covered sauté pan with a little salt and water splashed in — and warmed the cream and butter properly, in a pot called a butter warmer. But I’ve also done all the cooking in a microwave — the asparagus steamed in a bowl, the butter and cream heated in a little ramekin — and had equally elegant results.
There is one thing I changed: Toklas says to whip the cream to stiff peaks, but stiffness is akin to butteriness, and especially here can turn globby and unpleasant as it sits. Softer peaks settle nicely into the warm asparagus, and continue to make attractive swirls till the last spear is lifted off the plate.
I served it with a feisty marinated salmon; you could do other seafood or steak or lamb chops. Or, you know, burritos. Call it genius.
Adapted slightly from "Greene on Greens" by Bert Greene (Workman, 1984)
Serves 4
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and peeled
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water, or steam, until just tender. Place the drained asparagus in a shallow serving dish, and keep it warm in the oven. (Asparagus may be blanched ahead of time and reheated in a warm oven, if desired.)
In a small saucepan, heat the butter with 1/4 cup heavy cream over low heat. Stir and pour over the asparagus; return the asparagus to the oven.
Beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream with the salt and pepper until soft peaks form. Spoon over the hot asparagus. Serve immediately.
This article originally appeared on Food52.com: http://food52.com/blog/12557-alice-b-toklas-asparagus-in-salt-pepper-whipped-cream
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