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summary: stir-fried asparagus with black bean peanut chili sauce; links to information about black beans and ginger and more ways to prepare asparagus; (click on image to see larger views and more photos)

Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB)#191
Black Beans (Glycine max)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Mmmmmm…. Asparagus!

My favourite way to have asparagus used to be steamed (but just enough so the spears are still al dente) and then drizzled with butter and fresh lemon juice. Hollandaise sauce is also highly acceptable accompaniment. (snork)

I have a new favourite way for asparagus though: stir-fried with chili peanut black bean sauce. When you try it, it will be your new favourite way to serve asparagus too….

You’ve got to try this! Quickly!! Local asparagus is still available (just).

Asparagus with Black Beans Peanut Chili Sauce
sauce based on black bean chili sauce and peanut chili sauce

• ¼ c vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili flakes (more or less)
• ¼ c onion, minced
• ginger, chopped
• garlic, chopped
• dried salted black beans, roughly chopped
• ¼ c roasted, salted peanuts
• asparagus, chopped in largish bite size pieces
• water, optional

preparation

1. Sauce Heat oil to medium high in a frying pan.
2. Add chilli flakes and cook until slightly dark.
3. Add onion and cook to translucent.
4. Add ginger and cook until softened.
5. Add the black beans and cook a few minutes.
6. Place in a bowl to cool. Test for salt and add more oil to cover if necessary.*
7. Asparagus Heat oil in wok. (We use safflower or sunflower oil.)
8. Add asparagus and stir to cover with oil. Add a little water if you want. Turn heat down to low; cover with a lid and allow to simmer til asparagus is al dente (3 to 5 minutes).
9. Stir in as much of the sauce as you like and heat through (reserve the extra sauce in the fridge for another day).

Serve immediately with jaggery chicken. And rice, of course. Or with grilled meat, oven roasted potatoes and/or bread. Whatever you do, just make sure there’s lots of asparagus. It tastes like more.

Extra sauce can be served as a condiment. It is wonderful in Asian Noodle Soup. Or with fried rice. Or with chicken that has been roasted on a bed of onions or mushrooms in a claypot and then served over rice. Or in a chicken sandwich. Or….

notes

* To trim the asparagus, rather than breaking it in half, use a sharp knife to cut away the tough part of the asparagus. Starting at the blunt end of the asparagus spear, gently tap against the spear with the sharp part of the blade until the knife wants to cut through. I hope that made sense!! (We learned this from Laura Calder’s TV show “French Food at Home” and are forever indebted to her because now we get to eat more of the asparagus that we buy.)

* Remember – the sauce is a condiment and should be salty and oily.

• broccoli with black bean sauce
• black bean chili sauce
• peanut chili sauce
• recipes from OUR kitchen – index
• blog recipes index

Sometime last week, we had asparagus simply tossed with just a little olive oil and salt and then barbecued in the barbecue wok. Oh my!! Even though we’ve had asparagus this way before, I think I may have another new favourite!

edit 13 July 2009: Cheryl has posted the WHB#191 roundup. Take a look at all the delicious looking herbal entries!