Asparagus Question

[S Mitchell]

So I'm watching Jamie Oliver on the cooking channel and he said that he feels that if you put oil on the asparagus before you grill it, it gets a bitter taste. I always put oil on it before I grill it and love it. I used to use butter, but felt I got a better result with oil. Am I alone here? What do the pros here do?

 

[Jeff Powers]

Toss with evoo, s/p then grill...

 

[John Ford]

I use a higher heat oil like canola rather than olive oil for grilling

 

[michele p]

I always toss w/ olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.

 

[Steve Whiting]

Same here. EVOO, Salt and Pepper. Get some good grill marks and chow down.

 

[K Kruger]

I use evoo or clarified butter, depending - but mostly evoo as most of the time that's more suitable to what I'm doing with the rest of the meal.

Oliver thinks that olive oil causes bitterness when grilled? That's oddly clueless for him. (I'd expect that from other celeb 'chefs' but not from him.)

Asparagus can sometimes be bitter on its own - just taste a piece raw and it will tell you. So can olive oil, even evoo, as many growers pick their olives too early. The 'peppery-ness' and 'bite' of evoo often lauded by the supposed food cognoscenti? It shouldn't be there. But this alone is usually not enough to make asparagus bitter. If it's bitter, it's the asparagus.

 

[Noe]

Canola oil is what i like to use higher smoke point, its hard to really find some quality olive oil at a supermarket.

 

[Rob_Fox]

I just toss it in some Italian dressing and throw it on the grill. No one, including me, has ever complained about it being bitter. I always burn the stuff anyway, I think it taste better charred a bit.

 

[S Mitchell]

Thanks guys. I didn't think I was THAT crazy. I use evoo too. Interesting to see the other ideas. Just as I figured...What would a famous chef know that TVWBB wouldn't know?

 

[JimK]

A little late on the bandwagon here, but I also use EVOO, kosher or sea salt and pepper. I will often throw some balsamic vinegar into the mix as well. I've read you're better off adding the olive oil when serving rather than before cooking, but I haven't tried that.

 

[Mike Freel]

I use a little olive oil and a selection of spices that depend on my mood.

Mike

 

[Jim Lampe]

Everyone has their own tastes and techniques... yes?

 

[Sean S.]

evoo, balsamic and some lime juice

 

[TroyRedington]

i usually use evoo and salt and pepper
but the last time i used evoo and montreal steak seasoning. it was pretty tasty.

 

[Ron Frost]

I use EVOO, salt, pepper and minced garlic.

 

[Chuck B]

Same as most here, EVOO, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and finish with grated parmesan.

 

[Wolgast]

Well i do the same as everyone else but i think you could go with any veg oil since the expensive evoo looses almost all taste when seared like that. Love to try the citrus/parmesan though!

 

[Chuck Simon]

I use vegetable oil and lemon pepper. The lemon pepper gives it a really nice flavor. The only reason I do not use EVOO is because I have run out and not bought any.

 

[Kaz S]

So we got that one down.

Do yall throw em on perpendicular to the grate, use a basket, or make toothpick rafts?

I use a basket cause I can drink and not loose any. But u don't get perfect grill marks but no biggie.

 

[Steve Whiting]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kaz S:
So we got that one down.

Do yall throw em on perpendicular to the grate, use a basket, or make toothpick rafts?

I use a basket cause I can drink and not loose any. But u don't get perfect grill marks but no biggie. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When I am lazy they go directly on the grill but when I dont mind cleaning my Weber Grill pan then in they go. I dont find that I get good grill marks when they go directly on the grill anyway because they move around too much.