ChefOno, I do do corn on the cob in water. That much is true. But my method is to do it in a skillet with 1/4" of water, turning and paying attention to doneness, which takes just moments.
It was radish of me to declare a philosophy without consulting your clear thinking. This is the fun of it.
This question is perhaps inadvertently philosophical. My own position is that vegetables should never go into hot water unless you're making soup.
Once upon a time, after mom had boiled the green beans down to a more appealing gray color, my dad would come home and drink the water with an infused pat of butter. Hope this helps.
I was just about to push the "Do you think this is an excellent answer?" button because I couldn't agree with you more but then I realized a strict implementation of that philosophy would preclude blanching. And my favorite method of preparing corn on the cob (precisely 2 minutes in boiling water so they're just hot enough to melt butter).
@gary12401 - To water plants? Really? I do know that house violets like water with the slightest touch of milk (drinking it bottom-up through the holes in the pot, not poured on top). I love the idea of recycling but would be concerned that not all plants might like asparagus-y water. Anyway thanks for the idea!
I think of asparagus as being an entirely different vegetable when it's roasted or grilled. Seriously, blindfold someone and serve them a bite of steamed asparagus with Hollandaise and then a bite grilled with olive oil, salt, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic.
Better yet, next time roast it. On sheet pan in one layer, drizzle with olive oil, roll them back and forth a bit to cost each stalk, sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 degrees until tender to your liking. No water, no steam. The asparagus keep all of their delicious flavor.
Unless you usually use plain water for risotto, I'd shy away from using it for that purpose - it would be a touch bland. Risotto is usually made with highly seasoned, flavoured veg or chicken stock.
You could change the asparagus water into veg stock, to be used with an asparagus risotto - chop up some onion, carrot, celery and add a few peppercorns and bay leaf (+ fresh thyme and parsley if on hand) and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Why do we through out the best part of our food change and only eat the solid?
So I have just give my favorite asparagus [4] pieces and am keeping the water for a nite cap
Add it to your stock, soup broth or use it for blanching of other veggies in the future. Asparagus has its own unique flavor, so depending on the strength of your water, you may just want to toss it.
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It was radish of me to declare a philosophy without consulting your clear thinking. This is the fun of it.
Once upon a time, after mom had boiled the green beans down to a more appealing gray color, my dad would come home and drink the water with an infused pat of butter. Hope this helps.
I was just about to push the "Do you think this is an excellent answer?" button because I couldn't agree with you more but then I realized a strict implementation of that philosophy would preclude blanching. And my favorite method of preparing corn on the cob (precisely 2 minutes in boiling water so they're just hot enough to melt butter).
I think of asparagus as being an entirely different vegetable when it's roasted or grilled. Seriously, blindfold someone and serve them a bite of steamed asparagus with Hollandaise and then a bite grilled with olive oil, salt, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic.
You could change the asparagus water into veg stock, to be used with an asparagus risotto - chop up some onion, carrot, celery and add a few peppercorns and bay leaf (+ fresh thyme and parsley if on hand) and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
So I have just give my favorite asparagus [4] pieces and am keeping the water for a nite cap
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Next time consider steaming to prevent the issue in the first place.