When the asparagus starts to brown, toss it and clear a hot spot
in the middle of the pan. Add the garlic to the hot spot and allow it
to cook until the garlic starts to brown. Add the basil and toss or
stir.
Add the orange juice and another sprinkling of kosher salt. Wait
for the asparagus to absorb the orange juice and the olive oil (taste
one to see if it’s tender enough to continue; if not, keep cooking
until it is). When everything’s absorbed and the asparagus is
tender, add the orange zest and toasted Marcona almonds.
Pour onto a platter and sprinkle with finishing salt. Serve
immediately.
* Julia Child once advised practicing this flipping technique with
dried beans in a rimmed skillet.* If the white asparagus is especially tough, you may want to
peel it.* If you don’t want to spend the money on Marcona almonds
(which come from Spain and are sweeter than traditional
almonds), you can use regular almonds or almond slivers. Just
make sure to toast them first in a dry sauté pan over medium
heat, tossing every so often, until brown and fragrant.