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You might have noticed more asparagus in markets recently. For some, that’s the true mark of spring, as expected on the table as a vase of white lilies.
I’ve tried so many times to grow asparagus in my own garden, but my nemeses, the squirrels, always dig up the crowns to plant their peanuts. I’ll have to leave that crop to the pros, I guess. Most of the spears you’ve recently seen in stores are grown in Mexico, but the local crop should start showing up any day now.
Asparagus is absolutely beloved in Germany — Spargelzeit is celebrated all season long, from April to June — but they prefer the vegetable completely white, so they grow it in underground dungeons (or under cloches) to keep it devoid of chlorophyll. Once harvested, the most complicated way you’ll see it served is draped in creamy Hollandaise, but it’s usually done very simply, maybe swabbed through some drawn butter to eat with ham and boiled potatoes.
Germans swear that weißer Spargel is more tender and delicate in flavor than its photosynthetic counterpart, but I really like the grassy, earthy flavor and superior nutritional content of the green stuff. It’s just as comfortable snuggling into a sleeve of shaved prosciutto or puff pastry as it is adorning a Bloody Mary as a pickle.
I find the wild, vernal flavor of green asparagus sings a folksy harmony with the licorice-y anethole aromas of shaved fennel bulb, tarragon and chervil in a bright, lemony salad or stir-fried with a handful of fresh Thai basil, as it’s served here. The same aromatic compounds that bring grassy green, spicy earthiness and happy, C-major woody sweetness to asparagus are predominantly found in fresh bell peppers and green peas (two other vegetables I love with Thai basil).
This is a superquick side dish as part of a larger meal, or you can turn it into an easy entree by adding ground chicken or pork. Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Thai chile paste (nam prik pao) or sambal
¼ cup water
Stir-fry
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths
1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 bird’s-eye chile, finely sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Stir the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the asparagus for a minute, then add the garlic and sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stir-frying until the asparagus is bright green and tender-crisp, about 1 more minute.
- Add the basil leaves, sliced bird’s-eye chile (if using) and the cornstarch slurry. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and the asparagus is evenly coated. Serve with steamed rice.