Asparagus Appetizer
With tips on how to cook Asparagus
This is a great
Asparagus Appetizer. Cooked Asparagus is wrapped in a tasty outer crust that you serve warm. You can substitute ham or any other thinly sliced meat for the prosciutto. We also sprinkle ground parmesan cheese onto the outside along with the sesame seeds.
We have substituted Cresent Roll Dough for frozen pie crust without any problems.
If you are not familiar with cooking asparagus then look at the bottom of this page for tips on preparing asparagus.
Asparagus Appetizer Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1lb. asparagus
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 1-tablespoon sesame seeds
- 3 slices prosciutto
- 1tablespoon melted butter or margarine.
- Makes 12
Preparation:
-
Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the asparagus. Drop into an ice bath to stop cooking. (see instructions below)
-
Roll out pie crust to 1/8 inch thickness.
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Slice the prosciutto into long thin strips.
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Starting at the top of the spear, wrap a strip of prosciutto around the asparagus, spiraling it down to the base.
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Do the same with the pie crust strips, overlaying the prosciutto.
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Lay each spear on a cookie sheet. When each one is wrapped, brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Bake at 350° for about 8 minutes, or until crust is golden.
Serve warm.
How to Cook Asparagus
Breaking Off The Tough End
Depending on the size of the asparagus you have, There will be different ways to get rid of the tough bottom end before cooking.
Small spears just need to have 1/4 cut off the bottom.
The bottoms of large asparagus will need to be peeled with a vegetable peeler or snapped off.
To snap off the tough bottom, hold the asparagus with both hands in the middle and bend the bottom portion until it breaks off. The asparagus will break off at the point where the tender and tough part meet.
How to Blanch Asparagus
Blanching is usually the best way to cook asparagus. Blanching or steaming will keep them crisp. To blanch asparagus, bring water and some salt to boil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the asparagus and simmer 2 to 3 minutes only depending on diameter of asparagus. Remove and rinse in cold water until asparagus has cooled down. You can also put them in a bowl of ice water to cool them down.
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