Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- ¾ cup light vegetable stock or water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2½ tablespoons small capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon softened butter (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- 1To prepare the asparagus, snap the end off of each stalk by working your way up the stalk, gently gesturing a snap of the end of the stalk. At the point at which the stalk is no longer woody, it will neatly snap off. Discard these pieces of stalk.
- 2Using a swivel peeler, peel each stalk of asparagus by placing it on a cutting board and scraping the peel from just below the tip of the stalk toward the snapped off end. Remove just enough of the skin to reveal the delicately white flesh of the asparagus beneath. Rotate the stalk to peel it evenly all around. Once all the asparagus is peeled, rinse it under cold running water and set aside.
- 3Bring about ½ cup of water to a boil in a 12-inch covered skillet. Gently lay the asparagus, tips all pointing in the same direction, in the boiling water and cover again. Steam the asparagus until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, for about 8 minutes. When cooked, transfer to one large or 4 small serving dishes.
- 4Meanwhile in a small skillet or saucepan, heat the ½ cup of stock along with the lemon juice over high heat. Allow this mixture to boil uncovered until it is reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Stir in the capers and warm through. Immediately remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the butter (optional) then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- 5Spoon the sauce over the hot asparagus and serve immediately.
