Crispy Asparagus Zest
About
Crispy Asparagus Zest is a novelty garnish used to add altitude and pop to almost any presentation.
Ingredients
Asparagus Stalks, green, 3 ea.
Oil for deep frying.
Instructions
Procedure:
Remove any white stalk from the ends of the asparagus. Using a zester, hold it flat and cut long strips. Do not rotate. Drag the zester from the tips towards the end of the stems.
Deep fry @ 325F/163C until you see a few pieces turning brown. Remove from the oil and lay on a paper towel. The zest will become crisp after it sits for a few seconds.
Here are some zests that I used to garnish a recent sous vide trout presentation.
This approach works well with a number of vegetables, as I mentioned. Leeks, carrots, and beets benefit from being tossed in flour and allowed to sit for a few minutes before being deep fried. This protects the sugar from the intense direct heat of the oil.