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Alton Brown is a beloved culinary celebrity known for his cerebral, food science approach to cooking. While many of his recipes provide clever takes on methodology or how different ingredients interact chemically, Brown keeps some foods simple and straightforward. In an interview with EatingWell, Brown was asked about his favorite vegetable and favorite way to prepare it.
“I adore asparagus. I love asparagus because you don’t have to do much of anything at all,” Brown replied. “You grill it, you rub it with some lemon juice and salt and you can eat it with your fingers, which is the only reason that it’s better than Brussels sprouts.” Asparagus is a vibrant springtime veggie with fleeting seasonality. As Brown states, the unique flavor, tender flesh, and fun mouthfeel of the stalk tips need little embellishment. However, grilling is an elite method that imparts more depth of flavor and texture with smoky char. Plus, you’ll bring even more flavor to the table with a light coating of this California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, which we ranked highly on our list of olive oil brands.
As a final note, Brown narrowed the season and his adoration for asparagus as conditional to thickness: “I don’t like that skinny sh**. Don’t be bringing me that pencil-thin asparagus. I want the beginning of spring, big thick guys,” he declared. Thicker spears are also sturdier and thus better suited to Brown’s recommended grilling method.
More cooking methods and asparagus recipes
While Brown recommends grilling asparagus, we’ve got plenty of methods that you can try without firing up the grill. Roasting, for example, is a great way to bring a similar complexity to grilling. And, our recipe for simple roasted asparagus uses Brown’s favored accompaniments of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Another tasty method is pan-frying asparagus in a cast iron skillet like this Lodge skillet. You can pan-fry the asparagus in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet, then finish the fry with minced garlic and lemon zest to complement its fresh, vegetal flavors.
You can also use your cast iron skillet for these cast iron charred asparagus tacos; simply sear the asparagus stalks to impart char for a great vegetarian Mexican dinner. If you have an air fryer, you can create a crunchy exterior with this recipe for air fryer asparagus fries to dip in a creamy, lemony garlic aioli. There’s nothing simpler than steaming asparagus, and we have this steamed asparagus recipe that takes just five minutes to cook the stalks before embellishing them with lemon juice, salt, and an olive oil drizzle.
