Category:
Fish features
Date:
June 10, 2021
TASTE / TEXTURE PROFILE
Sea asparagus has a crunchy, briny taste making it a natural fit with nearly all types of seafood.
And no, it is not like asparagus! More akin to the texture of young spinach stems.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Sea asparagus is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin B, especially vitamin B2 which is a great source of energy. Sea asparagus also has a huge amount of folic acid and vitamin B9 which is excellent for your stomach and skin.
PREFERRED COOKING METHODS
Sea asparagus is great as a raw addition to salads or with oysters.
As far as cooking goes, your options are plenty. It cooks quickly so 30 seconds in boiling water for simplicity, it also can be steamed, or pan-seared. Personally, I like to boil it for 30 seconds then add it to a pan with some cooked shallots and lemon zest. It’s an excellent side dish, especially for seafood.
For anyone looking to keep it for the year it also pickles really well.
FISHERMONGER TIPS
Sea asparagus is also known as Samphire and Glasswort and can be harvested in many different parts of the world. Ours is locally harvested off the BC coastline and the season lasts about 4-6 weeks starting in mid to late June.
Due to the short season, it’s in very high demand and although it isn’t cheap, it is definitely worth trying a few times. Keep in mind when it comes to serving out sea asparagus, a little goes a long way.