French Fries are deadly – in more ways than one. First, they are addictive. Smell a batch frying in hot oil and you’re toast. You have to have some. Then, stick one of those hot, salted spears from Satan in a dab of catsup and you’ll eat how many ever there are, as much as a 10-acre potato farm in Idaho.
And they are also fatal to a diet. Go from Monday to a Friday, dutifully watching what you eat and drop a pound or two, then put it all back on plus more on Friday night with a side of fries to go with a burger.
But sometimes, a meal seems incomplete without some nice, crispy, salty fries. Fellow chefs, they don’t have to be potato fries. How about Asparagus Fries as a nice change of pace, a dish infinitely lower in calories?
I did a batch last week and I really enjoyed them – salty, crispy, full of flavor and just plain delicious.
It’s pretty easy, too. Here’s how.
Combine a cup of Panko crumbs, a ¼ Cup of grated Parmesan cheese, some salt and pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, beat two eggs and set aside. Heat about a quarter cup of Canola Oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Break off the ends of a pound of washed, drained asparagus, wipe dry and dip the spears in the eggs wash, then in the Panko/Parm mixture. Press the breading on firmly and fry about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning just once. They turn golden brown and fry quickly. Put the “fries” on a cookie sheet in a warm oven until the entire batch is cooked. Serve hot with most any dish.
Take that, Satan!
Asparagus Fries
1 lb. asparagus, rough end snapped off
1 C. Panko crumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil