asparagus fries – cheese crusted and oven-baked

Asparagus fries are my new favourite healthy junk food.

They’re amazing! Juicy asparagus – the spears have to be as fresh as possible – crispy coated in cheese then baked in the oven. None of that nasty deep fryer fat to lay on the calories. The egg and cheese/panko mixture weld together forming a gorgeous crust that allows the asparagus to cook without becoming dry and woody.

The next month is going to be super busy as Ralph and I get ready to move to our farm for the summer, she writes as – wait for it – another blizzard is about to descend upon the eastern coast of Canada! I may be delusional but I intend to stick to our schedule and begin the process of packing and buttoning things up here on Carmarthen St.

We’ll be hosting several dinner parties for friends that we won’t be seeing again until next fall and I’m hosting book-club in the city this year. All that said, I’ll be sharing some of the new recipes I’ve developed and some that I’ll be copying but putting my spin on. The crispy asparagus fries recipe is the beginning of the reveal…

Crispy Asparagus Fries
Preheat oven 425*F

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
½ teaspoon sea
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

THE STEPS:

• Mix panko crumbs, grated parmesan, salt and pepper on a plate.
• Place the asparagus spears in the beaten eggs.
• One by one, coat them in the panko, parmesan, salt and pepper mixture.
• Place the asparagus in a single layer, on a wire rack, on a baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown, about 13 – 15 minutes.
• Serve immediately by themselves or with your favourite dipping sauce.

THE LOVE: Use the freshest asparagus that you can find. If the spears look dehydrated at all your ‘fries’ will be tough and dry!

click here for printable recipe

one year ago: coconut cream pie 

two years ago: maple pudding

Thanks for reading.