I’ve had asparagus cut this way, but it’s not as fun to eat when you don’t get to bite into the shoot. I think that green beans are a better application for this technique. They’re a bit of a pain to cut like this, but boy they’re yummy.
8-16 oz. green beans
1 red bell pepper
3 shallots
olive oil
dash of red pepper flakes
splash of white wine
ground black pepper
salt
Boil some well salted water for blanching the green beans. Cut the green beans on a fine, thin bias. Blanch for 3 minutes or until they are just tender. Shock in cold water and drain.
Cut the red pepper into a very fine dice, and slice the shallots thinly. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the shallots and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes and then add the diced red pepper and saute until they start to brown on the edges. Add the green beans and black pepper and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine and salt and simmer until the liquid evaporates.