I've made these Asparagus Rollups for years, using several variations. A client wanted something she could take to a Thanksgiving meal an hour and a half away, and be able to take it from the car to the table. These Asparagus Rollups fit the bill because they are equally good served warm, room temperature or cold. For my client to be able to serve them room temperature, I blanched the asparagus until it was tender-crisp, then wrapped the Texas Bacon and Blue flavored "Spread It!" laden prosciutto around the asparagus. She kept the asparagus dish in her refrigerator until the last minute, then drove them nestled carefully in her backseat to her gathering. They were the perfect temperature when she got there! They are also excellent cut into one inch bite-sized appetizer pieces, served cold or room temperature.
Recipe and process:
CREAMY ASPARAGUS ROLLUPS
Serves approximately 6 people
Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus (allow 3-5 spears per person based on thickness of spears, and whether using as appetizer or side dish)
1 cup of "Spread It!" Texas Bacon and Blue flavor (purchased locally in the Brenham area from This Delish Dish) OR your choice of store-bought cream cheese based spread, such as Boursin or Allouette.
1 package of thin sliced prosciutto
Preparing the rollups:
Set up blanching station by filling a large, deep skillet with 2 quarts water and ¼ cup Kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Set up a large bowl filled with ice and add cold water.
Place 6-8 asparagus spears in boiling water and boil for 2-2 ½ minutes, depending on your textural preference for the asparagus. Once blanched, move immediately to the ice water bath. Leave in ice water for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
Line up asparagus on cutting board with all of the tips aligned. The cut ends will be of varying lengths. Cut ALL of the spears the length of the SHORTEST spear so that they are all the same length. (You can save the delicious blanched spear ends for a little snack for later!!)
Group the asparagus into 3-5 spear bundles, based on thickness of spears and whether or not these are appetizers or side dishes.
Carefully slice the prosciutto or ham into 1” wide ribbons.
Using the back of a fork, apply the softened cream cheese spread mixture to the prosciutto or ham ribbons. Place asparagus bundles at a slight angle on top of the end of the ribbon so that, when rolled, the prosciutto or ham ends up at the tip end of the asparagus.
If you want these warm, place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. For room temperature, serve immediately or refrigerate until one hour before serving to warm to room temperature. You may also serve straight from the refrigerator. These make excellent appetizer bites when you cut the asparagus bundles in 1” pieces either perpendicular or on the diagonal.
Let's make some together!
Preparation of Asparagus:
Wash and dry asparagus. It does not matter if they are thin or thick spears. To find out where to cut your asparagus, begin trying to break the spear from the cut end. It will naturally break where it becomes tender. If you cut/break the spears too low, it will be very fibrous and tough, impossible to chew. Each spear will break in a different place.
Setting up blanching station:
The benefit of blanching any vegetables, especially green ones, is that they are par-cooked in salted water, which will turn the asparagus bright green, then put in an ice-cold water bath, which immediately stops the cooking and sets the bright color. This way they are tender, and ready to eat!
Fill a large, deep skillet or saucepan with 2 quarts of water, adding 1/4 cup of Kosher salt. Bring to a boil. While this is heating, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. A great way to retrieve your asparagus from the boiling water is using a "spider" or tongs.
Here's the skillet of boiling, salted water.
***I know, I know!! The stovetop looks "messy". I will explain why in a bit, and offer some advice.
Here's the large bowl of icy water.
Place about 6-8 spears of asparagus into the boiling water at a time so that they cook quickly. Cook for 2-2 1/2 minutes per batch, depending on "crunch preference", then remove from pan and place in cold water bath. Leave them in cold water for about 2-3 minutes.
Place on paper towels to dry. Notice the difference in the color of the uncooked asparagus on the left, compared to the blanched asparagus on the right! Such a vibrant green!
This is a picture of a "spider", which is handy for many kitchen tasks.
Here's the "***" part!! As the steam from the salted water rises from the skillet, it settles back ALL OVER your stove to make a white mess! Luckily, it wipes away very easily, when finished cooking, and looks as good as new. It is just SO unsightly while you are cooking! It may be helpful to use a deeper stockpot to prevent this from happening as much, or you may cover the surrounding cooking area with foil while blanching.
Once all of the asparagus is blanched, gather it together. Lay the asparagus in a row, aligning the tips of the spears. Cut the spears the same length, using the shortest spear as your cutting guideline.
Gather your asparagus into bundles of 3-5 spears, based on being an appetizer versus a side dish.
Once the spears are gathered, get set up with your prosciutto/ham, and your spread of choice. Here, I chose to use This Delish Dish's "Texas Bacon and Blue" Spread It! which is made using Gorgonzola, bacon and fresh, seedless jalapenos. It would be equally good with other Spread It! flavors. If you are not in the Brenham area to purchase your own Spread It! from This Delish Dish, you may use your choice of store-bought cream cheese based spread, such as Boursin or Allouette.
Lesson learned:
I used super thinly sliced prosciutto this time, as I have when I've heated these in the oven. When served cold or room temperature, I decided that I wasn't a big fan of the prosciutto texture. I recommend trying your favorite very thinly sliced deli ham, such as Black Forest or a smoked variety. You want it thin enough to be delicate, but thick enough to be able to apply the spread without tearing it.
Assembly of Creamy Asparagus Rollups:
Set up cutting board with blanched asparagus, spread and prosciutto. Let the spread soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so that it may be applied easily with the back of a fork.
*Be sure to save the extra cut off ends for a "cooks snack" for later! Yum!!
Cut the prosciutto or ham into 1" ribbons. Lay the spread onto the ribbons of meat.
Lay asparagus onto the ribbon at a slight angle so that when it's rolled up it will twist to the top end of the spear.
That's IT!! You are ready to serve This Delish Dish!! As mentioned before, you can serve warmed in the oven, at room temperature or cold, from the refrigerator. You may also cut into the 1" pieces to serve as bites off of an appetizer tray.
ENJOY!!