As a midwestern girl, I am a sucker for just about any food item that has been breaded, fried, and dipped in ranch. I would also like to make it to adulthood without needing pants with a spandex waistband. Asparagus fries take the breaded-and-dippable idea in a much healthier direction and are still super nom-worthy. They also eliminate the hazard of home-frying, which is incredibly messy and a bit frightening. Have you ever seen someone deep-fry a 20 pound turkey in their backyard? Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Crisp, crunchy, and elegant, these fries are munch-y enough for game day but fancy enough for date-night.
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt (1/2 teaspoon), pepper(generous pinch), and seasonings of your choice (try 1/2 teaspoon of an Italian herb blend, a sprinkle of garlic powder, or some cayenne pepper)
1 egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional: Ranch dressing or a 79¢ packet of Hollandaise sauce cooked according to directions, for dipping.
Preheat oven to 425° F. Snap the ends off the asparagus. You can cut them, but the tough ends should snap off easily if you try. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with 2-ish teaspoons of water. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate and stir in the seasonings with a fork. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, pour on the olive oil, and jiggle the pan to coat. Using foil is optional, but will be enormously helpful if you don’t like scrubbing greasy cookie sheets.
One or two at a time, dip stalks of asparagus in beaten egg. Roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat, and lay on oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turn them over, and bake for another 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven. I put mine on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb a little oil before serving.
See, easy peasy. Serve on a pretty plate with Hollandaise sauce or ranch, depending on your mood. I highly recommend Hollandaise for date night. Hollandaise is very sexy. Don’t know why. It just is.
I meant to take a shot of the finished product, but I inhaled these wayyy too fast to photograph. Repeat batch coming soon!
