Mar 19, 2009 1:47 pm US/Eastern
Tony Tantillo: White Asparagus
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CBS 2 HD food reporter Tony Tantillo.
CBS
Well this week's tip is going to be with White Asparagus.
You know why white asparagus is white not green? They keep it under a mound or a canopy and the sun doesn't hit it, so the chemical reaction does not take place, and you have white asparagus.
The nutritional value of white asparagus isn't as high as green asparagus, but it still tastes delicious, and when you combine it with green asparagus, it's a beautiful plate let me tell ya. You can make many dishes with white asparagus' wonderful mild flavor.
When you buy it, you want to make sure it's nice and white all the way around. It's a little bit less firm then green asparagus, so when you squeeze it, squeeze it gently so it doesn't bruise up, Squeeze it a little bit to make sure it is squeaky; that means it is fresh.
Make sure it's free from any browning whatsoever, but a little yellowing at the top is OK…just a little bit.
When you bring it home, store it in the refrigerator right away for at the very most, 3 – 4 days. After that it will start to taste woody, and asparagus that tastes woody is not good asparagus.
You must take a knife, and this is very important, shave off just the very top layer of the spear, peel it a little bit because it's a little tough, and you want to make it nice and tender. Take it off just like this and that asparagus will be just beautiful and tender with the green asparagus. Add some tomatoes on top with a little bit of garlic and parsley for a great dish,
Asparagus and Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches
Don't skimp on the cayenne pepper for this recipe; it's a nice counterpoint to the crab flavor.
Serves 2
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chopped capers
1 tablespoon minced scallions
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Healthy pinch cayenne pepper
2 soft-shell crabs, cleaned (see tip)
1 tablespoon clarified butter or regular butter
6 to 8 asparagus spears, blanched and chilled
2 sesame seed hamburger rolls or other soft rolls
1. Combine mayonnaise, capers, and scallions in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge crabs in flour and shake off excess. Heat clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat.
3. Add crabs and cook 3 minutes on one side. Add the asparagus to the skillet, turn over the crab, and cook another 3 minutes, seasoning the asparagus with salt and pepper. Drain asparagus and crabs briefly on paper towels.
4. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the rolls, and top with crab and asparagus.
Cooking Tip
To clean the crabs, slice off the eyes and mouth (they're small but easily recognizable) with a kitchen scissors. Lift up the two flaps on either side of the top of the crab and scrape off the fibrous gills underneath. Flip the crab over and remove the apron flap on the bottom.
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