Cooking asparagus perfectly can be tricky, but a special asparagus steamer can help. The steamer sends steam progressively higher up the stalk, resulting in tender asparagus. A good steamer should have a mesh basket, be made of stainless steel, and have a clear lid. Asparagus can be a delicious centerpiece without the traditional hollandaise sauce.
As any asparagus fan knows, a perfectly cooked stalk does a great job standing on its own or tops it off with a little unsalted butter and a squeeze of lemon. However, it’s the “perfectly cooked shank” part that stymies cook up, but don’t know how to perform the magic. The best asparagus is cooked in a special asparagus steamer that sends more steam to the bottom of the stalk and progressively higher and higher the steam builds, has a clear top and a basket to hold the little ones in place.
This may indeed seem magical to the uninitiated, but it’s easier said than done. All the cook needs is an asparagus steamer that is tall enough to hold a bunch of asparagus upright with a hands-width or more of extra room. Two things will keep the stems from flopping. The first is a mesh basket with a handle that slides into the pot itself, and the second thing to look for is a pot that is considerably narrower than it is tall.
Long before there was asparagus, there was asparagus, which will lead the thoughtful cook to ponder what other cooking methods might have existed long ago. Steaming has been a favorite since the dawn of fire and water, but back then the stems were simply placed horizontally in a deep pot and boiled. This resulted in asparagus that was mushy at the top and inedible further down the woody stalk.
The modern asparagus steamer solved that problem with a design that blasts each section of stalk progressively more tender with just the right amount of steam. That doesn’t mean that all contemporary pots of asparagus are created equal. Serious cooks want an asparagus steamer whose basket slides in and out easily. One made of stainless steel is heavy enough to prevent accidental tipping. A clear lid is a must for monitoring progress without removing the top.
Asparagus is not only filled with fiber and wonderful flavor, but it can become the centerpiece of a meal even without the traditionally very rich and highly fattening hollandaise sauce. Perfectly steamed asparagus with the slightest whiff of creamy sweet butter, a squeeze of lemon or lime and a few pine nuts or sesame seeds that have been roasted just enough to start going from bland to brown to create a meal fit for a king , a queen and a house full of princes and princesses.
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