Asparagus ‘alla Borghese.’
Take a bundle of asparagus, scrape the white of each stalk lightly, and put them into cold water. Then tie them in bundles of twenty-five (or, if very large, of twelve or fifteen), keep the heads together, and cut the ends of one length. Cook them quickly for fifteen minutes in one gallon of boiling water in which two ounces of salt has been put. Dish them up on a piece of toast, serve very hot, with melted fresh butter, or sauce ‘Alla Panna,’ or ‘All’ Olandese’ (see Sauces, pp. [124], [125]).
Asparagus ‘alla Casalinga.’
Take four pounds of asparagus and cook the green part in boiling salted water. Then drain, and put the asparagus into a baking-dish with four ounces of fresh butter, sprinkle with grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, brown slightly, garnish with eggs fried in butter, and serve hot.
Asparagus, cold.
Cut the ends of your asparagus so as to have them of equal length, and boil in salted water. When cold lay them on a dish, and, just before serving, pour over them a sauce made of good olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. (If preferred, a white sauce can be used instead of oil and vinegar.)
Asparagus ‘alla Crema.’
Take the heads only of the asparagus (two or three pounds as required) and put them into boiling water with a little salt. Boil for about fifteen minutes, and prepare meanwhile some square pieces of roll or white bread, without the crust. Scoop out the centre of each piece and put in a bit of butter, then fry (or bake) until the bread turns a good yellow colour. After draining the heads of the asparagus place them in the holes in the bread, taking care to keep them hot. Then boil half a pint of milk, add four yolks of eggs, and stir till solid. Take it off the fire, add a little butter, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, pour over the asparagus and bread, and serve up hot.