My dear husband Bob and I are simpatico on the subjects of religion, politics and the better Van Halen frontman. But when it comes to asparagus, we are a house divided. I prefer crisp green goodness; Bob wants the stalks steamed until they're soft and squishy. Obviously, I'm right and he's wrong. But in the interest of marital harmony, I searched for a single preparation method that satisfies both of our texture preferences. I found baked asparagus fries.
The concept of asparagus fries is simple. Roast the asparagus in a high-heat oven until it’s firm on the outside and tender on the inside. What makes this recipe so special is that each asparagus stalk is dipped in a seasoned breadcrumb-and-Parmesan coating that makes it extra crunchy and extra cheesy, for extra deliciousness. And if you bristle at the thought of non-fried food assuming the “fries” pseudonym, I promise that you’ll want to stuff your gob with handfuls of these savory stalks even if they don’t contain a mountain of saturated fat.
Start with Goldilocks-sized asparagus. If your asparagus is too thin, it will shrivel up under the blazing oven heat. Too thick, and your breadcrumb coating will burn before the stalks turn tender. Go for the just-right medium size, which will be approximately 25 stalks per bundle. Snap off the tough ends and rinse your asparagus.
While the stalks are drying, set up your dipping stations. You’ll need three long, shallow dishes for this recipe. I used the oblong white baking dishes that my mother-in-law bequeathed me on my wedding shower, because it seemed appropriately romantic. You can also use 8-inch square baking dishes if you turn the asparagus diagonally, or even dinner plates if your bakeware is otherwise employed.
Place cornstarch in the first dish. Cornstarch acts like a primer, and helps bind the egg wash (second dish) and breadcrumbs (third dish) to the veggies. Then, like a well-oiled marriage, run each asparagus stalk through your stations, and place them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. I worried that attending to each individual stalk would be tedious and time-consuming, and tried throwing all of the ingredients into a Ziploc bag and then shaking the whole shebang. That resulted in a big green ball of sticky failure. I went back to preparing each stalk individually, but skipped the first station. Unfortunately, when I dropped the cornstarch, significantly fewer breadcrumbs stuck to the stalks, and my asparagus had the bald spots of a middle-aged drummer. For best results, spend a scant five minutes dip-dip-dipping the individual stalks.
You can customize this recipe by adding your favorite flavors to your breadcrumb coating. I like the heat, so I use a lot of red pepper flakes. If your palate is more mellow, skip the pepper, and try thyme and rosemary. No matter what spices come out to play, don’t forget to add a generous amount of fresh lemon juice at the end. It’s the bright note that brings the recipe, and the family, together.
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