56 THE BOOK OF ASPARAGUS 



In a very amusing book titled " Les Dons de Comus," 

 of which a " Nouvelle Edition*' was published in 1758, 

 numerous recipes are given for the cooking and dressing 

 of asparagus : Asperges au beurre, Asperges a l'huile, 

 Asperges au jus, etc. The directions given for asperges 

 au jus are these : — " Etant cuites et dressees, vous servez 

 dessus un peu de blond de veau, dans lequel vous aurez 

 mis un peu de beurre manie." 



Where most of the old writers and cooks failed was 

 in fixing too short a time for the adequate cooking of 

 the stems — this being inevitable when the old plan of 

 immersing the asparagus entire in boiling water was fol- 

 lowed. Thus " La Cuisiniere Bourgeoise," published 

 about 1750, name's " un demi-quart-d'heure " as the 

 correct time, and even Gourfe directs the cook to boil 

 for ten minutes only. 



As the result of numerous experiments, the following 

 simple directions are offered as conveying the principles 

 to be observed in cooking asparagus entire to be served 

 as an entremet : — 



Having carefully scraped and washed it, take the 

 asparagus, and resting it loosely heads downwards on a 

 table tie it in a bundle of twelve to twenty-four sticks 

 with tape and cut level the base of the stems. In this 

 way the sticks will be all of the same length, and will all 

 be cooked at the same time. Set the bundle thus formed 

 upright in a saucepan containing enough boiling salted 

 water (quarter ounce to one quart, with or without a 

 tablespoonful of vinegar) to cover about two-thirds of 

 the height of the asparagus, the tender tips so com- 

 monly spoilt by over boiling being thus cooked by steam 

 alone, whilst the tougher stems are properly cooked in 

 the boiling water. An appliance for the proper cooking 

 of asparagus has been designed by a member of the 

 Cornish Craft Guild, Hayle, and may be obtained at the 

 price of two shillings. The time of cooking varies slightly 



