Thai-Style Asparagus with Chiles, Garlic, and Basil

Name: Thai-Style Asparagus with Chiles, Garlic, and Basil
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds, thin asparagus, rinsed and ends snapped; 1 tablespoon, vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon, minced garlic; 1 tablespoon, serrano chile or jalapeño chiles, halved, seeds and ribs removed, chiles cut crosswise 1/8 inch thick; 2 tablespoons, soy sauce or fish sauce; 1 teaspoon, dark soy sauce (optional); 1 tablespoon, water; 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar; 1 cup, chopped fresh basil; 3 , large chiles of your choice, sliced on the diagonal into thin ovals, or 9 thin strips cut from a red bell pepper

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated May/June 1993

We compared three techniques—boiling, steaming, and microwaving—to determine the best and easiest method of preparing perfectly cooked asparagus.

SERVES4

TIME25 minutes

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

To determine the best and easiest asparagus recipe for jumbo or medium spears, we tried boiling and microwaving. But in the end, steaming got our vote as the best asparagus cooking method. Not only was it faster than boiling, but it resulte...

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