Asparagus is in season at the moment, so now is a perfect time to try out this delightful asparagus recipe. These patties are a blend of fresh asparagus, eggs, gluten-free bread crumbs, and some seasoning. They are simple to prepare, easy to cook, and they make great appetizers, or even a nice side dish for a summer salad. The original recipe comes to us from Chef John, over at the Food Wishes blog.
You’ll need some good gluten-free bread crumbs for this recipe to work best, so save some of your stale favorite gluten-free bread, or use one of the commercially available brands.
You can find the printed version of Chef John’s original, non-gluten-free recipe over at Allrecipes.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese
- â…“ cup plain dried gluten-free bread crumbs, or panko
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat a pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Trim woody bottom parts from the asparagus stalks. Cut asparagus in half, as necessary, to fit your pot.
Place asparagus in the boiling water.
Boil about 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly tender.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer asparagus to a bowl of very cold water. Let asparagus cool completely.
Grate Pecorino Romano cheese finely using a rasp grater.
Drain asparagus well and slice into very small pieces.
Place in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Add cayenne pepper, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and gluten-free bread crumbs.
Mix in 1 egg to start. Add the second egg and continue mixing until well combined.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Scoop some of the asparagus mixture into the hot oil; flatten with a fork.
Cook until bottom is browned, about 4 minutes.
Flip over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more.
Chef John’s written instructions invites you to “Garnish with lemon aioli…simply mayonnaise spiked with raw garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of cayenne…and fresh lemon zest.”