Here’s another recipe to break up your asparagus monotony (that is, unless you are coincidentally eating sesame asparagus nightly).
When cooked at its freshest, grilled asparagus spears are practically candy. Tender, sweet, nutty, with a slight tang from the rice vinegar, this recipe is a natural in asian-inspired meals. Try it alongside grilled chicken or salmon (using the same dressing as a marinade for those too), or tossed with noodles. I imagine the stalks would be stunning draped across a big platter of this peanut noodle dish from ramshackleglam.com.
They can definitely be grilled a day ahead and served cold or at room temperature, for an excellent effortless entertaining side dish. Just save the final dressing and sesame seed tossing for right before serving.
Grilled Sesame Asparagus
by Catie Schwalb
Serves four, as a side dish.
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Salt, to taste
1 lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed
3-4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Heat grill to medium-high.
Combine the vinegar and garlic in a bowl, and allow to sit for 10 minutes, to infuse the vinegar with the flavor of the garlic. Then, while whisking constantly, pour the sesame oil into the bowl in a slow, thin stream. You can also stream the oil in slowing through the top of a blender. Taste, and adjust salt.
Toss asparagus with half of the sesame dressing. Grill until tender, about 2-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of stalks. Turn down heat if they start to blacken too quickly. When cooked through, remove from grill and toss with remaining dressing and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Alternatively, you can allow the asparagus to cool after grilling and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Just before serving toss with dressing and sesame seeds.