Transform this tough offcut into an intensely delicious compound butter that’s perfect with eggs, bread, gnocchi or anything else you can think of
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sparagus butts are a particularly tricky byproduct to tame because they’re so fibrous. I usually cut them very finely (into 5mm-thick discs, or even thinner), then boil, puree and pass them through a sieve (as in my green goddess salad dressing and asparagus soup), but even then you’ll still end up with a fair bit of fibrous waste. Enter asparagus-butt butter: a recipe that defies all odds, making the impossible possible by transforming a tough offcut into an intense compound butter that’s perfect for grilling or frying asparagus spears themselves, or for eggs, bread, gnocchi or whatever you can think of. The short fibres brown and caramelise in the butter, and in the process become the highlight of the dish, rather than the problem.
This transforms an unwanted byproduct into an intense expression of the plant’s flavour. Rich, gooey and powerful, this recipe defies all logic. It’s technically incorrect, not least because the strong plant fibres are still present rather than extracted by being passed through a sieve. But those fibres, if the asparagus ends are cut thinly enough (to avoid long, ropey fibres that are stronger than dental floss), caramelise in the pan and intensify the asparagus flavour. I like to serve the deliciously rustic butter with grilled asparagus spears, which I cook in a skillet; if you like, fry an egg in the same butter alongside the spears and serve on top of the asparagus.
