How to prepare green asparagus

There's no need to wash the asparagus before peeling - you can do that afterwards.

You can peel green asparagus in the same way as white asparagus, but it's not necessary. Simply remove the small, rigid leaves (or scales) that cover the asparagus stalk below the tip.

These scales would be hard after cooking, and they can also retain a little sand or soil.

Removing them is called "greening" the asparagus, and you can see how it's done in this short video.

Scoop out all the asparagus.

Cut off and discard the hard stalk, which chefs call the "wood" of the asparagus, 1.5-2 cm depending on its size.

Do this for all the asparagus.

If your recipe calls for it, cut the sections at an angle for aesthetic reasons.

Then wash your asparagus, whether cut or not, and drain.

Cook them in a large pot of boiling salted water.

Check for doneness by sticking a small knife into an asparagus spear - the knife should go in easily.

Note that, unlike white asparagus, green asparagus doesn't have to be meltingly soft, just firm enough to your liking.

Drain, then cool under cold running water to stop cooking immediately.

Finally, place the asparagus on a kitchen towel or paper towel to dry thoroughly.

The asparagus is now ready for your recipe.