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1
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus; most spears will break naturally an inch or two above the bottom.
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2
Peel the stalks up to the flower bud.
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3
Meanwhile, start a grill or preheat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it smokes.
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4
To grill the asparagus, toss them with about 1 tablespoon of the oil, mixing with your hands until theyre coated.
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5
Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
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6
Grill until tender and browned in spots, turning once or twice, a total of 5 to 10 minutes.
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7
To pan-grill the asparagus, do not oil or season them.
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8
Just toss them in the hot skillet and cook, turning the individual spears as they brown, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
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9
Remove as they finish and season with salt and pepper.
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10
Mix together the lemon juice and shallot, then stir in enough olive oil to add a little body and take the edge off the sharpness of the lemon; the mixture should still be quite strong.
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11
Season it with salt and plenty of black pepper and stir in the parsley.
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12
Serve the asparagus hot or at room temperature with grilled or broiled swordfish, monkfish, or other sturdy fish.
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13
Spoon the sauce over all.
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14
You could serve these grilled asparagus with any of the vinaigrettes on page 304 in lieu of the lemon-shallot-parsley mixture here.
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15
If you were serving them as part of an Asian-themed meal, you might swap out the dressing in this recipe for Soy-Ginger Dressing: Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce with 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons rice or other mild vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil.
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16
Serve over the asparagus.
