Roasted Asparagus Bundles with Toasted Matzoh Crumbs
Yield: 8 Servings


For the seders, I primp asparagus up a bit. Instead of merely snapping off the tough ends, I usually trim the lower stalks with a few shaves of the vegetable peeler and tie them with scallion ribbons into pretty bundles for easy serving. In this recipe, I cloak them with savory toasted matzoh crumbs for contrasting crunch. While matzoh meal works well here, coarse crumbs home-prepared from whole matzohs really make this dish shine. If you can steal the time, it is worthwhile making a large batch to have on hand throughout the holiday. (See Cook’s Note for method.)

Ingredients For the Topping:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup matzoh meal or coarse matzoh crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the Asparagus:
2 or 3 scallions
2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed (and peeled, if desired)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Make the topping: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the matzoh meal or crumbs, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the matzoh meal is light golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the tarragon and lemon zest, and set aside.

Cut 8 long strips from the green part of scallions (reserve the white parts for another use). Poach the scallion strips in boiling water for 1 minute to make them pliable, then remove them and pat them dry. Divide the asparagus spears into serving size portions and use the scallion strips to tie each portion with a knot or bow into a flat bundle.

Arrange the asparagus bundles on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the bundles once or twice during roasting, using 2 spatulas.

Transfer the bundles to a serving platter. Drizzle with lemon juice and dust with the toasted matzoh crumbs.

Cook’s Note: To prepare homemade matzoh crumbs, whirl small pieces of matzoh (egg matzoh makes particularly delicious crumbs) in a blender or food processor using the pulse motion until desired texture is achieved. Or place in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin or your hands to crush the matzoh. A medium grind, with a slightly uneven texture is best for crumb coatings.

 

   
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