French Butter Asparagus Recipe

Prep asparagus

Rinse the asparagus under cool running water. Snap or trim off the woody ends: hold a spear near the middle and bend until it naturally breaks, or line up and trim about 1 to 1½ inches from the base. If spears are very thick, use a vegetable peeler to peel the bottom 2–3 inches to ensure tender bites.

Blanch

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add the asparagus spears and cook until bright green and just tender-crisp: 2–4 minutes depending on thickness (thin 2 min, medium 3 min, thick 4 min).

Shock and drain

Immediately transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and preserve color; chill for 1–2 minutes. Drain and pat dry thoroughly on clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Keep warm if serving immediately by placing on a warm serving platter or briefly reheating in the pan with sauce (see below).

Mince shallot and reduce

Finely mince the shallot. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt. Add the minced shallot and sauté gently for 1–2 minutes until translucent but not browned. Add the white wine or vermouth and increase heat slightly to reduce by about half, 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.

Finish with butter and lemon

Reduce heat to low. Cut the remaining butter into pieces and add them a few pieces at a time, whisking or swirling the pan to emulsify into a smooth glossy sauce. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. If sauce appears separated, lower heat and whisk until smooth.

Add herbs

Stir in the chopped parsley and remove from heat. Keep warm.

Arrange the drained asparagus on a warmed serving platter or divide among plates. Spoon the warm butter sauce evenly over the spears, making sure each spear gets some shallot and butter. If desired, sprinkle the lemon zest and a pinch of flaky sea salt on top for brightness and texture. Serve immediately while warm.