Restaurant Level Vegetables…Made By You!
You ever throw asparagus and leeks together on purpose? Yeah, me neither.
But with a cast iron skillet and a little butter these two belong together.
The goal is one blackened side on the leeks. Mine landed somewhere “charred” and “close enough.”
Which proves the point you don’t need restaurant precision to make vegetables look and taste expensive.
Suddenly your kitchen looks like it charges $26 for vegetables…made by you!
What I Used
Leek – 1 medium-sized, pale green part only
Unsalted Butter – 2 tbsp.
Asparagus– 6 stalks, snap off tough ends
Salt and Pepper
Lemon Juice – 1 tsp.
Whole Grain Mustard – 1 tsp.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lay the leek halves cut side down on the pan. Press down to darken. When dark brown (about 4 to 5 minutes) add butter. Lower heat and coat the cut side of leek in butter. Cook for a minute more. Remove leeks from pan. Add asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender (about 5 to 6 minutes). Hit the pan with lemon juice and mustard. Toss to mix. Serve tender asparagus over leeks.
KITCHEN NOTES
1. The Leek Outer Layers
The outer layers are tougher, so think of them more like a serving vessel for the browned, buttery center.
2. The Mustard
I used grainy Dijon and it worked. But next time, I’d probably use a basic grainy mustard because the Dijon came in a little aggressive.
3. The Butter
Once the butter hits the pan, lower the heat. You want buttery and glossy…not burnt.
Verdict: This feels like restaurant food without restaurant pressure. A little char. A little butter. A little chaos. And, somehow asparagus is turned into something that tastes expensive.
Did you try your own version of this combo?
DM me on IG and send what happened. Especially if it got a little messy on the way there → @shouldicookit
UP NEXT: Turning this combo into a sandwich that thinks it’s fancy.
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