Grilled Asparagus

Jamie Stolper

I like asparagus, but I enjoy it more when it’s been grilled or oven-roasted, rather than steamed. The flavor is more intense and the texture a bit more chewy. This is an easy vegetable to make for an outdoor barbecue - prepare more than you think you will need, as people can’t resist picking up the spears with their fingers and munching on them before they even make it to the dinner table!

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus spears
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse asparagus and pat dry. Break off tough ends. Place on a baking sheet and brush with vegetable oil on all sides and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay spears across a hot grill and cook, watching carefully and rotating, for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill and degree of doneness desired. (Do not cook directly over a high open flame or the spears will burn on the outside before they are cooked through on the inside.)

You can also cook the asparagus on a stove-top grill or in a preheated 350-degree oven (for 15 minutes or until tender). Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings