Barely-Cooked Asparagus with Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette

Step 1

Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water, add 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil.

Step 2

Hold a piece of asparagus in both hands and snap to see where the end breaks off.  (This tells where the woody part of the stalk begins.)

Step 3

Trim all asparagus pieces to this length, cutting on the diagonal, then cut again so each stalk is cut into two pieces about 3-4 inches long.

Step 4

In a small glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the lemon juice (I used my frozen fresh lemon juice), Dijon mustard, salt, and fresh ground black pepper, then whisk in the olive oil.

Step 5

I used a little less oil to make the dressing slightly more lemony. If you’re not that into lemon you might want a little less lemon juice.

Step 6

Put trimmed asparagus into the boiling water, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.  (Use a timer to be sure you don’t cook it longer than that.  You want the asparagus to be slightly tender-crisp when it’s taken off the heat.)

Step 7

Drain asparagus into a colander placed in the sink and let sit for 1-2 minutes, until all the water has run off.

Step 8

Then put a layer of paper towels on a large cutting board, put asparagus on top of towels and blot dry.

Step 9

Arrange the asparagus piece on a serving tray, drizzle lemon-Dijon vinaigrette over, and serve.