Crisp, tender, nutty and slightly tangy, Sous Vide Browned Butter Lemon Asparagus is the perfect side for all your summer grilling.
We are knee-deep into summer and that means grilling ALL THE THINGS! I think my meat, poultry, fish/seafood consumption increases ten-fold at barbecues. But nothing quite beats perfectly charred, hot off the grill veggies along side your meat. AM I RIGHT?
I made this Sous Vide Browned Butter Lemon Asparagus side, back in early June, when some seriously sexy locally grown asparagus hit the Farmers' Market close to my office. How I wish I had the photography skills to better capture their beauty.
The blogger struggle is real... 🙂
Colour Compromise
You may remember my sous vide sides from last fall, the carrots and beets were almost jewel-tone in colour, when cooked sous vide. Green vegetables, like broccoli, peas and asparagus tend to sometimes lose a bit of their vibrant colour, when cooked sous vide, however.
You still get great flavour and texture, but if you are fussy about the colour, you likely won't go this route. The same recipe can be done stove or grill-top.
There is also the question of whether to peel the asparagus. Perhaps I don't have an advanced enough palate, but I did not find any glaringly noticeable difference in taste and only a slight difference in texture. I quite like the look of them unpeeled - personal preference I suppose!
Browned Butter Love
If you have been around these parts long enough, you are fully aware of my love for browned butter - in desserts and savoury applications. It adds an irresistible flavour depth. I make a batch each of clarified and browned butter, almost religiously, each weekend. YUMMMM!
I cooked these Sous Vide Browned Butter Lemon Asparagus at 85C for 12 minutes, because I knew I would finish them off on the grill. If that step is of no interest to you, cook sous vide for 15 minutes. Play around with temps/time to find your perfect stalk doneness.
Once out of the water bath, simply cut open the bag, plate and serve. If like me, you prefer your food with a little char in the summer, toss them on a hot grill or skillet for about a minute.
Easy, delicious Sous Vide Browned Butter Lemon Asparagus! This batch was enjoyed alongside perfectly cooked sous vide pork chops!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 28 grams browned butter cubed
- 2 pieces lemon zest
- salt to taste
- freshly ground peppercorn to taste
- lemon juice to taste
- crispy onions and garlic to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat the water bath to 85C/185F.
- While the water is heating, trim the ends off the asparagus and place them in a single layer in a vacuum bag. Add the butter and zest to the pouch and vacuum seal. Add to heated water and cook for 14 minutes.
- Remove bag from water bath after 14 minutes, cut open pouch and plate. Add a little lemon juice and salt to taste and top with crispy onion and garlic. ORToss asparagus on a hot grill for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on your grill. This gives them a nice char, without over cooking. Then add the citrus juice, salt and toppings, as above.
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