Recipe: Sous-vide white asparagus

NOTE: Master Class columns are intended for ambitious home cooks, and some of the recipes may call for special ingredients or equipment. When that is the case, we will provide an alternative method for the main element of the dish so it can be prepared even without this ingredient or equipment.

Sous-vide white asparagus

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Note: This recipe calls for a vacuum-pack sealer. You can substitute a sealable plastic bag for this recipe, pressing out the air by hand.

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8 jumbo spears white asparagus

Sugar

Kosher salt

1/4 cup (55 grams) cold milk

1. Bend the spears to break off the tough ends. Peel the spears and trim the ends to make the spears the same size. Line up the asparagus in a single layer in a bag, tips facing up. Add a pinch each of sugar and salt and the milk. Vacuum-pack on medium-high.

2. Place the bag in a large pot of water heated to 185 degrees for 30 minutes to cook.

3. After 30 minutes, remove the bag and submerge in a large ice bath to stop the cooking and chill the asparagus.

4. Drain the asparagus and rinse well under cold water.

5. Cut away the ends on the diagonal, then cut each spear on the diagonal into three pieces.

Each serving: 12 calories; 1 gram protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram sugar; 8 mg sodium.