Text 14173, 104 rader
Skriven 2008-09-23 11:35:00 av Michael Loo (1:18/200.0)
  Kommentar till text 14096 av Jim Weller (1:123/140)
Ärende: Bft 2 956
=================
 -=> Jim Weller said to All <=-

 JW> Title: BFT Asparagus Mimosa

And I thought, asparagus juice and Champagne, that sounds
pretty weird. Better asparagus and Cognac.

Asparagus Malloreddus
categories: main, asparagus, romantic
Servings: 4 as a romantic main course
1 bn green asparagus

500 malloreddus pasta or another short, durum wheat,
- bronze extruded, dry pasta
1/2 c heavy cream or mascarpone
1 glass Cognac
1 Tb butter
100 g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

A recipe of [FXcuisine's] own creation, very Italian nonetheless.
Quickly prepared, this makes an ideal romantic dinner soaked with
enough Cognac to guarantee the meal will meet a successful
outcome! I even list a most exquisite & highly appropriate
musical accompaniment.

This is another recipe of my own invention, not that I have any
claims to originality. You will find many variations of this.
My friend Zed omits the Cognac and adds some Parma ham. But it
is a really delicious and delicate dish, prone to reconcile
anybody with asparagus. The alcohol in the Cognac leaves the
pan for a better world before it reaches your plate, so it is
fit for even the strictest T-totaller.

You can make this in a few minutes time with only a pot of
boiling water and a saucepan. Here I prepared it on a week
night right next to my stove with only minimal tools.

Cut the asparagus right where you draw the line between edible
and disposable. If in doubt, cut then at one third from the bottom.
Fill your largest pot with water, add salt and bring to the boil.

Delicately immerse the asparagus in the boiling water and leave
until almost cooked through but not quite, about 4 min. If in
doubt, undercook. You can always catch up later, but there is
no uncooking an overcooked asparagus. Fish the asparagus out
with a sieve and transfer to a cutting board. Cut in 5 cm
segments. Cover the pot again and increase the heat. Do not
throw the water out or you'll have to heat up another pot of
water, which is bad both for your karma and for your guests
who will have a longer wait. Take out your fanciest pan and
melt 1 Tb butter over medium heat. Saute in the butter, tossing
from time to time. Add the cream and toss some more.

Meet the malloreddus. The fine people from the Slow Food section
at COOP, a Swiss supermarket chain, import this high-quality
Sardinian specialty pasta. I like them for their shape that
looks like worms or bits of asparagus, they grab a lot of
sauce as you eat them and retain much bite. But feel free
to prepare this with penne or some other pasta.

Meanwhile, the asparagus cooking water will have reached
its boiling point again. Drop the malloreddus in the water.
Cook al dente, so that the retain enough bite to withstand
the further cooking they will endure in the cream and asparagus.

Transfer the pasta to the pan and increase the heat so as to
make the cream boil and reduce. Toss and combine. Do not add
any seasoning (salt or pepper) at this stage, as the parmesan
and cognac will add their own powerful contributions.

Like champagne, cognac enjoys as much success abroad as it
does in France. In the USA, it has become a cultural symbol
for people of African descent. Have you ever heard Pass the
Courvoisier? A torrid dream of a song for any Drinks & Spirits
marketing executive, with the delicate urban poetry Busta
Rhymes has gotten us used to:

    Pass the Courvoisier
    Give me the Henny, you can give me the Cris
    You can pass me the Remi, but the pass the Courvoisier
    Give me the ass, you could give me the dough
    You can give me 'dro, but pass the Courvoisier
    Give me some money, you can give me some cars
    But you can give me the bitch make sure you pass the Courvoisier
    Give me some shit, you can give me the cribs
    You can give me whaever just pass the Courvoisier

But I'm getting sidetracked here. Take the Henny out, and pour
as much as you can afford on the pasta. If you have an eye for
showmanship, you might try to flambe the dish as you bring it
to the table. But whatever you do, be sure to let most of the
alcohol evaporate, or your dish will taste like an expensive
French disinfectant.

Add some parmesan cheese, then serve as you see fit: directly
in the pan, or in a serving dish or a small green plate.
Really delicious!

http://FXcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=174

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