Lemon Butter Asparagus

Lemon Butter Asparagus is as simple as it gets – gently sautéed asparagus in a little salted butter with lemon juice, lemon zest, and seasoning. It’s a side that is bright and refreshing; a perfect spring and summer side!

What can one say about Lemon Butter Asparagus?  Not too much, I’m afraid, except for the fact that it’s delicious and oh, so simple!  Most cooks will blanch the asparagus first before cooking, but I prefer not to blanch the asparagus.  I find that it overcooks it, and besides, fast frying this delicate delight will most certainly bring out the bright green colour. And isn’t that the point of blanching? (Kinda!) Well, I digress!

WHAT IS BLANCHING AND SHOULD YOU BLANCH ASPARAGUS?

As an FYI, or a public service announcement, allow me to introduce you, the home cook, to the term blanching.  Contrary to popular belief, blanching does not describe the act of playing the role of Blanche on the Golden Girls.  Nope, no matter how badly you want to be her and look for any excuse to take on her persona, in the culinary world, blanching does not refer to adopting a southern accent, dressing provocatively, having loose morals, or using your sexuality to get what you want.

Blanching is a cooking process where food, usually a fruit or a vegetable, is submerged in boiling water and left to partially cook for a just a minute or two.  In essence, by blanching a vegetable, you are doing so to partially cook it, remove any strong taste or odours, such as in cabbage or onions, and to revitalize the vegetable and bring back its bright, vibrant colour.

HOW TO BLANCH VEGETABLES

Bring the water to a rolling boil, add the vegetables and push them down into the water.  After a minute or two, remove the vegetable and immediately plunge them into a large bowl of ice cold water.  In fact, the colder the water, the better the result.  Fill a large bowl half way up with water and then add a bunch of ice.  When you add the blanched veggies to the bowl of water, ideally, there should still be ice floating in there as well.  This is an ice bath and is set up before you add the veggies to the boiling water.

THIS ASPARAGUS DOES NOT NEED BLANCHING FIRST – UNLESS YOU WANT TO!

This step shocks the vegetables, stops the cooking process, and locks in that glorious colour.  Now, Dear Reader, if that all seems like too much work for just a bit of asparagus, don’t worry about it.  This particular Lemon Butter Asparagus recipe does NOT require any blanching whatsoever.  The hot pan, the acidic lemon juice, and the fast cooking process will take care of all of those blanching goals for you.

Lemon Butter Asparagus is and tastes exactly like what the name suggests – spears of asparagus that are bright green, cooked all the way through, yet crisp and firm.  You’ve got a slightly salty flavour from the butter, along with a creamy, glossy look and feel.  And, of course, you have that bright, refreshing blast of lemony goodness from both the lemon juice and the lemon zest.  What more could you ask for?

This Lemon Butter Asparagus dish was so good that I ate the whole thing.  I’m serious, Dear Reader!  Of all the asparagus you see in that skillet, I did not share one single bite with anyone.  I ate all of it and I don’t regret it one bit!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Asparagus – One large bunch is all you need. Usually, where I live, depending on the size of the spears, one bunch will yield about 20 spears. So, if you need more than that, you will need to double the entire recipe.
• Butter – I love to use salted butter, because asparagus can certainly handle it. If you use unsalted butter, you might want to increase the salt just a bit.
• Lemon Zest – One whole lemon is the amount you will need. Wash the lemon first and dry it really well before zesting.
• Lemon Juice – Once you have zested the lemon, cut it in half and extract one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
• Olive Oil – I like to use a light extra virgin olive oil
• Seasoning – You will need salt and ground black pepper here.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON BUTTER ASPARAGUS

This recipe is super easy and super fast. So, it’s best to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go first. Here’s how I make this side:

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Once sizzling, add the asparagus, salt and pepper. Using tongs, gently turn the asparagus in the butter. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Once done, turn off the heat and add the fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Turn the asparagus gently to coat with the zest and juice. Serve immediately! I told you it was easy!

ASPARAGUS TRIVIA

Before you get to the recipe though, here’s a little bit of trivia for you.  Did you know that asparagus has been used as a vegetable and as a medicine?  It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian piece of art dating to 3000 BC.  

In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in Spain.  Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter; Romans even froze it high in the Alps, for the Feast of Epicurus.

Emperor Augustus created the “Asparagus Fleet” for hauling the vegetable, and coined the expression “faster than cooking asparagus” for quick action.  A recipe for cooking asparagus is in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’ third-century AD De re coquinaria, Book III.  Quite this history this little vegetable has, don’t you agree?