Miss Shirleys Asparagus Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Put the asparagus, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Toss to coat evenly. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned and tender, but still bright green.
• Meanwhile, spread the Parmesan evenly in the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook undisturbed until the cheese melts, sticks together and turns golden brown, about 2 minutes, then flip with a rubber spatula and cook until golden on the second side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the frico to a wire rack-lined baking sheet to cool completely, about 2 minutes. Break the frico into small crumbles and put in a small bowl. Add the lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and toss to combine.
• Transfer the roasted asparagus to a serving platter and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the top. Top with the crumbled frico mixture.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Spread out the asparagus spears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and shake the pan to evenly coat the spears. Season with salt and pepper.
• Broil until the spears are just tender, 4 minutes for thin and up to 10 minutes for thick asparagus.
• Add the lemon zest and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Place a paper towel-lined plate next to the stove. In a medium or large skillet, combine the garlic and olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often, until the garlic is very light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, tilt it, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to the towel-lined plate, leaving the remaining oil in the skillet. Season the crispy garlic with salt.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking often, until bright green, crisp-tender and browned in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide onto a platter, including any oil in the skillet. Top with the garlic chips and season again with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the upper third. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Add asparagus and cook until just tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to ice bath; drain.
• Return pot to medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes; remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard rendered fat or reserve for another use. Add butter to same pot and heat over medium until foamy. Add onion, nutmeg, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in mustard, then gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups bechamel.) If not using right away, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to keep a film from forming.
• Spread 1 cup bechamel evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch-square baking dish. Reserving 1 cup for topping, sprinkle remaining asparagus over bechamel. Arrange reserved bacon in an even layer on top, followed by the sliced eggs, cracker crumbs and remaining bechamel. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup asparagus down the center of the casserole, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top and season with black pepper. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Turn oven to broil setting and continue to cook until golden-brown on top, 3 to 4 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.