when it’s cooked in a scorching hot pan with olive oil, garlic, and
herbs, deglazed with orange juice, and then tossed with orange zest
and toasted almonds, you have something to be very excited about.
The key, as with Davis’s shrimp, is to have the pan so hot that
the asparagus gets caramelized and brown. This is also a good
recipe to practice your flip*, that chef-y technique of making food
in a pan flip on top of itself like a wave. The key is confidence:
forcefully thrust the pan out and up and watch as what’s inside
comes back toward you. Not only is it impressive, it keeps you
from mashing up the asparagus with a spatula.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch white asparagus, rinsed and patted dry, cut on the
bias into 1-inch pieces (discarding any tough woody ends)
Kosher salt and white pepper
3 cloves garlic, sliced
5 whole basil leaves
Juice and zest of 1 orange
½ cup Marcona almonds, toasted and chopped
Finishing salt (such as Maldon sea salt)
In a pan large enough to hold all the asparagus, heat the olive oil on
high heat until smoking hot. Tilt the pan away from you and add
all the asparagus. Return the pan to high heat and don’t move the
asparagus for at least 30 seconds. Sprinkle with kosher salt and
white pepper.