Skillet-Charred Asparagus with Lemon and Tarragon

For charring vegetables on the stovetop, nothing works quite as well as cast-iron, which retains and distributes heat better than other cookware. We use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to char asparagus that has been cut into 2-inch pieces. Even so, we cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan, which would result in steaming. We found that in a non-cast-iron skillet, the asparagus doesn’t char as deeply. And afterward, the pan requires serious effort to scrub clean. We keep the flavors simple and finish the asparagus with butter, lemon juice and tarragon, ingredients that complement the vegetables’ green, grassy notes.