Dinner plan, suggestions needed.

[Osirus]

basically i want to make this asparagus fettuccine with grilled chicken breast for dinner, but i dont use asparagus very often and need to know if it would be ok to use white asparagus? I would also like to make the cream sauce with a little personality and im not sure flavor/s would go well with the asparagus and chicken, i was thinkin some sort of nutty flavor? not sure any suggestions would be great I would like to reserve some of the cream sauce to lace over the grilled breast to enhance flavor and combine the plate together. will white asparagus work for this



3/4 pound thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 tablespoons butter (2 Tablespoons refrigerated)
5 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 oz. fettuccine


basically going to almost carmelize the shallots, add wine, reduce 1/3, add cream boil, and simmer til thickend, grill my bird,Boil asparagus rinse chill, then sauté til tender, combine fettuccine, sauce, asparagus, place bird on top and lace with reserved sauce. tips suggestions?

[DC Sunshine]

White will work just as well as green. If you are looking for some green colour, maybe add some herbs, I would keep it gentle, maybe just parsely/ chives at the last minute. Your recipe sounds pretty good as it is. If you're looking for a hint of nuttiness, maybe drizzle a little walnut oil over the breast before grilling.

[bluezebra]

yep as dc says it will definitely work, but keep in mind you are going to have a "very white dish". Sometimes that looks less than visually stimulating. Think of throwing something really startling on the plate. Like a bold orange of something (not a carrot), or a bold red and maybe a toss of herbs as well...

[Scarecrobot]

If you're going to use white asparagus be sure to peel it as the exterior is a lil woody. Just use a veg peeler to do that. Buy close to when you use it as they turn quicker than green asp...You might want to fill out your sauce with some herbs as suggested & maybe a little fresh nutmeg & lemon zest for depth. Render some bacon or pancetta with the butter goes nice with this type of dish also. G luck

[mitmondol]

Originally Posted by Scarecrobot

If you're going to use white asparagus be sure to peel it as the exterior is a lil woody. Just use a veg peeler to do that. Buy close to when you use it as they turn quicker than green asp...You might want to fill out your sauce with some herbs as suggested & maybe a little fresh nutmeg & lemon zest for depth. Render some bacon or pancetta with the butter goes nice with this type of dish also. G luck

Ditto, also white asparagus can be a bit bitter, when you boil it add a touch of sugar to the water.
I prefer those to green ones, only because I grew up with them.