Time is such a curious thing. When we want it pass to quickly, it seems to go so slowly. And when we want it to slow down, the days, weeks and months whizz right by. It's late September already and I feel that this year has absolutely flown. In fact, I'm almost having trouble keeping up with the day and date (no, I don't have Alzheimer's, thanks for asking, it's just that I've been so incredibly busy this year). Anyhow, when a parcel of market-fresh asparagus arrived on my doorstep from the Australian Asparagus folk (thank you!), I knew that Spring had well and truly arrived. 'Tinned asparagus was the only asparagus I knew as a child,' Eric Rolls wrote in his book A Celebration of Food and Wine. 'It was regarded as a treat, like tinned crab,' he added. 'A favourite delicacy at afternoon tea were spears of asparagus rolled in thin buttered slices of white bread with the crusts cut off. Tinned asparagus now seems an abomination. It does not even suggest the flavour of fresh asparagus,' he concluded. This is so true! Food history tells us that tender young shoots of fresh asparagus have been prized since the days of the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. Given this, it's somewhat curious that, like Eric Rolls, many of us grew up tasting only the canned version of this sweet and succulent vegetable. Fresh asparagus is especially delicious when blanched, poached, grilled or stir-fried. With such beautiful specimens to work with, I chose Luke Nguyen's Asparagus wok-tossed with Asian mushrooms, which is on page 153 of his book, Indochine, in the chapter about Dalat. I had forgotten how good the dish was until I cooked it again this week. For this simple dish, you need a bunch of fresh asparagus and an assortment of fresh Asian mushrooms; including oyster, black fungus or cloud ear, enoki and shiitake. I also added a few shimeji, because I love their look, taste and texture. You can find the best of these mushrooms at your local farmer's market, greengrocer or Asian grocer. Luke's recipe is as follows and my comments or suggestions are in brackets: ASPARAGUS WOK-TOSSED WITH ASIAN MUSHROOMS 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 garlic cloves (perhaps less), finely chopped 200g asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 4cm lengths 70g oyster mushrooms 70g black fungus 70g enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated 70g shiitake mushrooms (70g shimeji mushrooms, optional) 11/2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons oyster sauce 1/2 teaspoon sugar (perhaps a little more) pinch of salt and ground black pepper (optional in my opinion, the dish doesn't need it) 1 bird's eye chilli, sliced 1/4 teaspoon (perhaps more) toasted sesame seeds steamed jasmine rice, to serve (optional) Heat a wok over medium heat. Add the oil and fry the garlic (gently) for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the asparagus and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add all the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Toss for a further minute, or until the mushrooms are tender, then season with salt and pepper (if using). Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the chilli and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Serves 4-6 as part of a shared meal. The verdict: this is a delicious vegetarian meal or side dish that I will definitely make again. It is so quick to prepare (seriously, it took less than five minutes to stir-fry) and is full of flavour. Tell me dear readers, is time passing quickly for you this year, or has it dragged for some reason? Have you ever eaten canned asparagus? And do you enjoy wok-tossed vegetable dishes as much as I do?
26/9/2014 09:39:10 pm
Asparagus has been gracing our dinner plates in the past few weeks, too. I love to sear it on a griddle pan then drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divine!
Lizzy
27/9/2014 02:42:40 pm
So simple and yet so delicious, Rachel!
Lizzy
27/9/2014 02:43:07 pm
Wow! I think I only ate it tinned in the 70s... my mother never served asparagus at all!
Eha
27/9/2014 02:29:45 pm
Spring always arrives in my home with asparagus and artichokes :) ! I am a bit of a purist with asparagus and usually steam for best taste and texture in my book it but have made it LN's way and loved it . . . such a pity that the Asian mushrooms make it such an expensive dish . . . I usually pick just one or two kinds and add some buttons/Swiss Brows one can grow so cheaply oneself!!!
Lizzy
27/9/2014 02:43:32 pm
True, Eha, they can be expensive sometimes. : / 27/9/2014 07:44:25 pm
Oh god I remember tinned asparagus! It's strange stuff and nothing like fresh, grilled asparagus which is so good!
Lizzy
30/9/2014 05:22:15 pm
So true, Lorraine! : ) 29/9/2014 09:51:34 am
Weren't they the cutest little parcels too! I opened up my package to find 3 gorgeously wrapped, ribbons & all, presents of asparagus. Love your recipe Liz, simple, delicious & quick.
Lizzy
30/9/2014 05:22:32 pm
Thanks Anna, it's Luke's recipe and I just love it too! 29/9/2014 09:58:59 am
I also grew up thinking asparagus grew in cans. And I remember those slices of white bread with a spear of asparagus in them - you had to be careful to properly drain the asparagus or the bread was very soggy! I make a similar recipe to this and it's so delicious and good for you and really colourful xx
Lizzy
30/9/2014 05:22:54 pm
Oh, ugh, yes, I remember those too. Pleased to say I never made them! xo 29/9/2014 04:20:25 pm
Liz - I just made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. I bought half a pound of local oyster and shiitake mushrooms at the market yesterday with nothing special in mind. Saw this post after, and then got the asparagus. I did substitute shallot for the garlic, and it worked great. This will become a regular for us! Thanks for sharing!
Lizzy
30/9/2014 05:23:26 pm
Oh David, that's fantastic, thanks so much... it is a keeper isn't it! You must look at my other Luke Nguyen recipes too! : ) Comments are closed.
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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