DO Salmon and Asparagus

[PresTx82]

We ran out and got a bottle of "Litehouse-Garlic Vinaigrett" and it made the grade. We modified the recipe a bit, but doen't everyone?

Bread crumbs and salmon.

Smothered with TWO cans of asparagus.

Second layer of salmon.

Vinaigrette dressing.

Cooking time.

45 minutes later and....................

A very good meal indeed. I substituted the brown rice with white! I recommend Tom's recipe to one and all. The salmon did very well after 45 minutes and I had two layers of salmon!

[caseydog]

Mark, is that canned Asparagus? I hope not.

Asparagus is one of those vegitables that can not be canned, IMHO. It goes from awesome to yuk.

Growing up, all my mom ever served was canned asparagus. I hated it. It wan't until I was in college, and went to a gormet restaurant for the first time, and tasted fresh asparagus, steamed hot, but still a bit crisp. I abosolutely love asparagus now. Stemed or grilled -- but never from a can.

BTW, the dish looks good -- aside from the (possible) canned asparagus.

And, you don't want to know what my mom did to fish.

[asianflava]

I have a friend that feels the same way about corn. Absolutely refuses to eat canned corn. Fresh or frozen is OK but not canned. Fresh or frozen is better but I'll still eat canned corn, either way, I still bust on him about it.

[Ira]

I've tried like 5 times to make fresh asparagus, and screwed it up every time. Comes out too bitter/acidy tasting.

I have no problem doing whole artichokes, but asparagus and me just don't get along.

So I myself have the canned stuff all the time, but I'd like to know what the hell I'm doing wrong.

I just steam it for more than enough time, throw butter in the mix toward the end (how can THAT hurt?), but it still tastes like crap.

The asparagus tastes like crap, that is--because the butter ALWAYS tastes good!

[rbeemer]

Ira,

How big are the individual spears and are you bending each spear till it breaks and only using the top? Instead of steaming try throwing them on the grill with some loive oil and salt and grilling them till tender(usually 4-5 minutes, depending on size)

[Ira]

I don't remember how big they were, but they're not big. And I sure don't recall snapping anything.

I would think that I would first want to learn to STEAM the dang things, right? Yeah--I would love them on a grill, but how is that gonna be any easier?

Maybe the aspargus just stinks in Florida, or it's not "ripe" when I buy it. But I didn't think you have to worry about ripeness with asparagus, right?

Maybe I'm OVER-cooking it.

[rbeemer]

Ira,

You want the tops to be tight against the stalk(just like artichokes) if they are loose that could be why they are bitter(over ripe). I try to get stalks no bigger than 3/8" in diameter - the smaller the better and no wrinkles. The stalks should be firm and not limp. If you over cook asparagus usually it just gets mushy. Usually it is done when it turns a bright green

If you can grill a steak you can grill asparagus. If it chars a little it still will taste great. I grill mine turning often until they turn bright(emerald) green. It is a little darker than when you put it on. Kind of like the colr of the glasses on the cool smiley emoticon

[PresTx82]

Casey Dog:

Yep, it's the dreaded canned stuff. Hey, I never knew asparagus existed until I married my wife. She loves the stuff and we always have it in stock (in cans). I love salmon and the salmon/asparagus mix seemed like a good combination. I thought I'd update the original thread and pictures with my modification. It's a good dish. As far as canned vs. fresh, well to each his own. You can easily substitute the canned for fresh..........!

Thanks again Tom for the recipe!

[caseydog]

The key to cooking fresh asparagus is to cook it with high heat, like steam or a grill, and cook it for a short time.

And yes, you want to cut of, or break off the bottom inch or two -- that part is tough and more bitter. The tops are the sweetest part.

don't cook with butter. Just put them in a steamer plain, or to grill them, a light coating of olive oil and some kosher salt is good. Black pepper, too, if you like. Keep them moving on the grill -- I use a vegie basket and shake them up every so often to keep them moving.

I bought some today to cook up for dinner tomorrow at Beavers Bend. Yum.

[wolfix]

I cook salmon on a frequent basis...... this looks to be a fantastic dish. I do think the Sam's Vidalia would be the thing to use.

[Ira]

I'm gonna try the fresh again using the above pointers. Now I know what the heck to look for and what the heck to DO.

[dmb90260]

Ira:

This is asparagus for you.
It is simple
It is NOT DO.

Use whatever container you want.
I fashion a container out of aluminum foil on a pizza tray.
Put all the fresh aspergas you want.
(I like the snap of thick stalks, purists want skinny)
Drizzle with olive oil (virgin is best)
Cover with shredded parmesan cheese.(use fresh stuff)
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes
No brainer, guaranteed.

Find some potlatch seasoning and grill the salmon while the grass cooks

slainte (have a gin martini while it cooks )

[sdtripper2]

Ira:

For your information and the wonderful pleasure of asparagus~


Here is a recipe for asparagus that will take the bitterness off your taste buds.




Grilled/baked asparagus with balsamic vinegar

* A standard supermarket bunch of green asparagus
* Coarse sea salt
* Raw or brown sugar
* Balsamic vinegar
* Melted butter or olive oil or better yet a little of both
* * Butter for the sweetness & olive oil for the savory flavors
Preheat the oven to 200° C / 425° F or so (hot but not the hottest), or turn on the grill.

Prepare the asparagus by cutting off the tough ends, and lightly peeling the
ends with a vegetable peeler. You want the stalk ends to look like halfway
sharpened pencils. Line them up in a baking pan, preferably lined with a
Teflon baking sheet. (The sugar and vinegar tend to make the pan a bit
sticky afterwards.)

Preparation video:
Go to this link and find the asparagus preparation video for a visual of
how to prepare this vegetable.

Note: Some do not peel the asparagus but
snap one stem to find the line of woody vrs soft of the stem. Line all the
rest of the stems up on your cutting board and make one cut to exclude
the woody parts of all the stems to match the one you just snapped, in one
fell swoop. There your done. But be sure to watch the video to make your
own decision on peeling.

Sprinkle the asparagus lightly with the salt, and sugar. How much sugar?
Just a couple of pinches; you don't want them to be sugar-coated, just to
have a hint of the sweetness.(The original recipe calls for white sugar but I
find that raw, or coarse brown / unprocessed sugar, is even better with the
balsamic vinegar.)

Sprinkle very sparingly with the balsamic vinegar. You don't want to douse
the asparagus with it. To do this, place your thumb over the bottle mouth
to control the sprinkle rate.

Put a little melted butter or extra virgin olive oil over the asparagus -
again, you only want a little. Butter makes it taste a bit sweeter, while olive
oil makes it a bit more savory. Both work well. (The original recipe uses
butter.)

Bake for 10 minutes or grill for about 8 minutes, turning a couple of times.
If you bake the asparagus will be a bit softer, and grilling makes them
more crunch and slightly charred. (The original recipe calls for baking
them.)

Put on plates and spoon over any leftover liquid in the pan over them.
Serve immediately. These are fun to eat with your fingers.
***

As an after thought:


As an added flavor you might try Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that you
can get at COSTCO or any good Italian store.

Some of this dusted over the asparagus will add a nutty, fragrant,
delicate aroma and full rich flavor to your experience.

Enjoy Green or White asparagus spears always.