No, you can’t use canned or frozen–this recipe only works with fresh asparagus, so take advantage of these spring asparagus months.  This is an excellent accompaniment to grilled seafood, too.  Note: You can reduce the marinade in a small pan and serve it over the grilled asparagus.

Ingredients

Spicy Lemon Mop:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh preferred
2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped parsley or rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh asparagus

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the mop in a bowl and mix well.
Cut off the tough stem ends of the asparagus, rinse and place in non-reactive, shallow bowl. Pour the mop over the asparagus and marinate, at room temperature, for an hour.
Start the grill or a charcoal fire. Grill the asparagus over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or until done but still crisp.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 oz (70g) each of chopped leeks, celery, and carrots

1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 oz (25g) mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 oz (40g) cooked sweetcorn kernels, fresh or canned

1 1/2 oz (40g) zucchini flowers, rinsed

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

1 tsp chopped canned chipotle chilies

1 tsp fresh chopped epazote or flat-leaf parsley

3 pints (1.7 liters) chicken stock

salt, to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the leeks, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms, sweetcorn, zucchini flowers, and garlic until tender.

Add the tomatoes, chilies, epazote, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, and serve piping hot.

Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

Ingredients

4 two-pound Maine lobsters, live
1 pound salted butter
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 shallots, minced
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Juice of 1/2 medium orange
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh lemon wedges

 

Instructions

Sauté the shallots and garlic in a saucepan for five minutes or until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the lobster and lemon wedges), and heat until butter is melted.  Set aside and keep warm, stirring occasionally.

Line a grill with aluminum foil and prepare a medium-hot fire.

Split the lobster by placing it on its back, sever the spinal cord by inserting a sharp knife between tail and body, then split the lobster in half lengthwise.  Remove stomach and intestinal vein.  Crack the claws and sprinkle the meat with salt & pepper. Paint the lobster with the melted butter mixture and place it on grill, flesh side down. Cook the lobster until there is a light char on the meat. Turn, baste with butter and continue to grill until meat is firm.

Remove the lobster from the grill and paint it with melted butter. Remove the claws from the lobster and wrap the body in foil. Put claws back on the grill for 5 to 6 minutes more. Remove and serve with the split lobsters.

Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

Ingredients

12 medium Florida soft-shell blue crabs

1/4 cup milk 

3/4 cup flour 

2 eggs, beaten 

2 teaspoons salt 

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 

Instructions

Remove gills, eyes, mouthparts, and tail section of fresh crabs, or thaw frozen crabs. Rinse in cold water; drain. Combine the eggs, milk and salt in a wide flat bowl. Combine the flour and crumbs in another wide, flat bowl. Additional spices such as cayenne pepper and garlic may also be added.

Dip the crabs into the egg mixture and roll them in the flour/crumb mixture. For heavier breading, let the crabs sit for several minutes and repeat the dipping-rolling procedure. 

Place the crabs in a heavy frying pan containing 1/8 to 1/4 inch of extra virgin olive oil. Put the pan on a hot grill and fry the crabs at moderate heat. When they are brown on one side, turn them carefully and brown on the other side. Cooking time is approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the crabs on absorbent paper and then serve on warm platter.