Grilled Asparagus With Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (2024)
Last update: By Alice Currah33 Comments
It’s so funny how kids develop certain ways of eating certain foods without rhyme or reason. When I was a kid, the only way to eat asparagus was to eat the bloom-like spear heads first before eating the long woodsy shoots. I felt so rebellious, like a child who insisted on eating dessert first. I find it somewhat ironic that my own children insist on eating only the shoots. They find the heads disgusting. I don’t get it, don’t they realize the tops are the best part? It’s like eating the outside of a cinnamon roll only to leave the gooey center on the plate because you find it disgusting. To each their own.
Lately, I’ve seen an abundance of asparagus on sale everywhere, which is always a great incentive for me to pick up a few bunches. My preferred method of preparing asparagus is by grilling them with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. I’ll serve them alongside grilled salmon, chicken, or steak with a side of roasted potatoes or brown rice. Keeping it simple is how I like to cook. But there are occasions when I will want to mix it up a little bit. Sometimes I will squeeze fresh lemon juice over asparagus just off the grill. Other times I like to add Nicoise Olive Sea Salt, one of my most treasured flavored salts by Secret Stash Salt.
But last night I was browsing through Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love: Delight Family and Friends with More than 150 Simple, Fabulous Recipes just before it was time to make dinner. When I saw her recipe for Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup, it was just the inspiration I needed to jazz up my usual grilled asparagus with very little extra work.
After grilling the asparagus to a crunchy yet but cooked texture, I plated it and drizzled just a little bit of the balsamic vinegar reduction over everything. It added just enough zing with a slight sweet undertone to compliment my grilled asparagus perfectly. Within three minutes of setting my vegetable plate down, all the asparagus disappeared. And in case you’re wondering whether or not my kids ate the spears whole, they still left the tops on their plate. But don’t worry, I took care of them without the slightest bit of guilt or hesitation. If they’re okay with it, I’m okay with it… even though it was like taking candy from a baby.
Here’s the recipe I used last night. I barely adapted it from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook released last week. My thoughts about this gorgeous cookbook justifies a separate post I plan on publishing later this week. So stay tuned!
Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Coat the asparagus with olive oil using your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Coat the grill with olive oil. Spread asparagus across the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the asparagus over and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until asparagus is slightly crunchy, not soft.
Remove from grill and transfer to a platter. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar syrup over the asparagus before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
**Balsamic Syrup Instructions: While asparagus is cooking, prepare the balsamic syrup by cooking ½ cup balsamic vinegar on medium heat until it thickens and forms a syrup like consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to let it thicken too much or it will turn into black goop.
***To roast the asparagus in the oven, follow the instructions above except cook the asparagus in a preheated 450 degree oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
The number one mistake made when preparing asparagus is overcooking it. Take into account that the vegetable continues to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from heat or boiling water. Because it only takes a few minutes to cook, keep a close eye on it to avoid soggy, limp stems as the outcome.
Per Bon Appétit, when it comes to asparagus, which has a notably fibrous texture, blanching is a good idea before just about any cooking method, be it roasting, searing, or grilling. Blanching enhances the vibrant green color of asparagus, and partially cooks it so that it has to spend less time on the grill.
Be wary of any recipe that instructs you to peel asparagus before cooking it. Not only is it labor-intensive, it's really not necessary. Rick Martinez, BA's digital associate food editor, explains that as long as you get rid of the bottom portion of the stalk, the rest is entirely edible.
Fine grit can lurk in asparagus tips. To get rid of it, fill a bowl with cold water and soak the asparagus for a few minutes, then rinse off. That should rid the stems of any unpleasant sandiness.
Stand the spears upright in a glass containing 1-2cm of water, cover with a plastic bag and store in the fridge. If space is an issue, wrap the spears in a clean, damp tea towel and store in the crisper section of the fridge. This way your asparagus spears will stay crisp for up to three days.
It is not necessary to trim asparagus. On some spears, especially fresh, pencil-thin stalks, the woody ends may tenderize once cooked. But on larger stalks, the ends of the asparagus are often woody and dense—Which makes them difficult to chew, no matter how soft the asparagus is after cooking.
Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture, taste, colour and nutritional value of asparagus deteriorates. Make sure you blanch or cook the veg first to preserve these elements.
Asparagus is great quickly stir-fried or sautéed over high heat. You could sauté spears in butter or olive oil with delicious results, but throwing some chopped herbs or sliced chiles into the pan adds wonderful flavor. Both of these methods produce juicy asparagus that retains its crunch.
Failing to blanch the asparagus before adding it to the grill could result in dry, unevenly cooked vegetables that are overcooked on the outside but undercooked in the center. To properly blanch asparagus, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop your cleaned and trimmed asparagus into the pot.
Asparagus contains potassium, an important nutrient for keeping your heart, bones, kidneys and nerves functioning and healthy. You may be surprised to learn that this stalky vegetable also consists of a compound called asparaptine, which may help improve blood flow, in turn lowering blood pressure.
It's recommended to trim the pale bottom ends of asparagus because they are woody and tough. The ideal cutting point is where the spear turns green to white. You can also bend and snap one spear and use it as a guide to slice the rest.
One simple method is to cut about 1/4 inch from the bottom of each asparagus spear and then place them in a glass of ice water.Cover the glass with a plastic bag and refrigerate for a couple of hours. The cold water will help to rehydrate it and restore its crispness.
Loss of nutrients: Overcooking asparagus can cause it to lose its nutritional value, particularly vitamins C and B, as well as minerals such as potassium. Mushy texture: Asparagus that is overcooked can become mushy and lose its crisp texture, which can make it less enjoyable to eat.
Does asparagus get softer the longer you cook it? Yes, it does. But you don't want to cook it too long or it will be soggy. That's fine when using in a soup, but not so much as a roasted side.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
just before it was time to make dinner. When I saw her recipe for Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup, it was just the inspiration I needed to jazz up my usual grilled asparagus with very little extra work.