Blasted Asparagus

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° or whatever is max for your oven.
2. Cut the tough tails off of the asparagus and place the tips in an oven pan that will hold all the tips in one layer.
3. Pour in enough olive oil to come up 1/4th of the way on the tips.
4. If using the shrimp, spread them on top of the asparagus.
5. Put the pan in the 450° oven for 10 minutes; remove and turn the asparagus.
6. Check the shrimp; they might well be just as you like them at this stage.
7. Sprinkle the tips with a little tarragon and the juice of 1 lemon; put the pan back in the oven for 4 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from oven; remove asparagus from pan to a plate for serving and reserve the oil.
9. Put the shrimp over the asparagus and serve.
10. Use the oil for dipping the sourdough breadsticks.