Grilled Asparagus Rafts Recipes

SESAME GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a shallow pan, soak skewers in cold water for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.
• Preheat grill to high. Snap off the woody bases of the asparagus and discard. Skewer 4 or 5 asparagus spears together, using the toothpicks or 2 bamboo skewers, forming a raft shape.
• In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.
• When ready to cook, place the asparagus rafts on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds as they grill. You can serve the asparagus as rafts or unskewered.

GRILLED BALSAMIC GARLIC ASPARAGUS RAFT

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Skewer asparagus spears onto kabob sticks and place in a glass dish.
• Mix vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Drizzle mixture over asparagus and marinate for about 30 minutes before grilling.
• Grill 4-6 minutes on each side until nice grill marks appear.
• Serve hot or room temperature.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Break off woody ends of asparagus.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and paprika and mix together well with a fork.
• Lay the asparagus side by side and pierce with skewers to form a raft.
• If you use bamboo skewers, don't forget to soak them for 30 minutes before using, so they don't catch fire.
• Place asparagus rafts on the grill and brush with the olive oil mixture.
• Cook to your desired tenderness (it takes almost no time at all), and season with salt and pepper.

GRILLED BALSAMIC ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off tough ends of asparagus and wash well through 2-3 changes of cold water.
• Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, seal and marinate for 30-60 minutes.
• Preheat grill on high heat.
• Remove asparagus from bag (discard marinade) and place on preheated oiled grill rack.
• Grill 5 minutes on each side or until asparagus is done.

GRILLED PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Trim the ends off of the asparagus spears and place in a large bowl or pan and cover with cold water and let stand for 1 hour. This will allow the asparagus to absorb a little moisture and stay crisp & moist when grilling. Drain asparagus. Drizzle asparagus with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Not too much just a little, add minced garlic and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Gently mix to evenly coat the asparagus. Lay a slice of prosciutto vertically (short end at the bottom) on a flat work surface. Place one seasoned asparagus spear across the middle of the prosciutto at the bottom end and roll up the asparagus tightly in the prosciutto. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Line up 4 prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears.
• Skewer the 4 spears together, 2 skewers per group of 4 wrapped asparagus.
• This will make it easier to grill the asparagus. Repeat until you have 6 skewers of 4. They end up looking like little rafts of prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
• Preheat grill to medium high 450-550° F. Cook asparagus until tender and prosciutto crisps, about 3-4 minutes per side.
• Remove from grill, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve immediately with grilled Tony Roma's BBQ Baby Back Ribs.

GRILLED RAMPS WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Trim and discard the root hairs from ramps. Trim tough ends from asparagus.
• Place ramps and asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
• Arrange ramps and asparagus on the hot grill in a single layer. Grill until hot and grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to platter, and serve hot or at room temperature.