Crispy Breaded Asparagus

"Asparagus fries!" exclaimed Chris when I set a plate of these on the table in front of him recently. That's pretty much the idea behind this festive preparation of the quintessential spring vegetable.

Line up plates with the three breading ingredients: flour, beaten egg and seasoned panko-parmesan mixture

Wanting to add something crunchy to my usual broiled asparagus, I did a search for asparagus recipes that incorporated panko and came across this simple dish from blogger Kevin Lynch's Closet Cooking. The recipe uses the classic three-step breading technique of flour, egg and bread crumbs (in that order). The results were pleasantly crisp, while the parmesan added an extra bit of flavor.

Crispy Breaded Asparagus
Adapted from Crispy Baked Asparagus Fries by Closet Cooking

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed (bend the asparagus until they break and discard the thicker, tougher end).
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Set a wire cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the panko, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and spread on a dinner plate. Spread the flour on a second plate and the egg on a third plate. Dredge each asparagus spear in the flour, then dip in the egg, allowing excess to drip off, then roll in the panko mixture to coat.

3. Arrange the spears evenly on the rack above the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.