Espárragos de Navarra con vinagreta
White asparagus with vinaigrette
Espárragos de Navarra con vinagreta: thick white asparagus with a confetti of pepper, shallot and egg
White asparagus grows under mounded earth in the sandy fields along the Ebro and its tributaries, and the Espárrago de Navarra label covers the spears picked there from April to June. In spring, restaurants from Pamplona to Tudela serve them freshly boiled, still warm or just cool, as a starter on their own or with a sharp vinaigrette full of finely diced peppers and egg. The rest of the year the jarred ones are a pantry staple. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of sugar to the cooking water; it softens the faint bitterness of the stems.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the asparagus
- 2 ¼ lb thick fresh white asparagus
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
For the vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 shallotvery finely diced
- ¼ red peppervery finely diced
- ¼ green peppervery finely diced
- 1 hard-boiled eggfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lay each 2 ¼ lb thick fresh white asparagus spear flat on a board and peel it with a vegetable peeler from just below the tip down to the base, turning as you go. A common mistake is peeling too lightly: white asparagus has a thick fibrous skin, and any left on stays stringy however long you cook it.
15 minStep 2: Snap or cut off the woody last 2–3 cm. Tie the spears into two bundles with kitchen string.
3 minStep 4: Lift out the bundles and leave them to cool in a little of the cooking water so they stay moist.
10 minStep 5: Whisk the ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and 2 tbsp sherry vinegar with a pinch of salt, then stir in the 1 shallot, ¼ red pepper, ¼ green pepper, 1 hard-boiled egg and 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley.
5 minStep 6: Drain the asparagus, lay it on a platter and spoon the vinaigrette over the middle of the spears, leaving the tips clear. Serve warm or at room temperature.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does espárragos de Navarra con vinagreta take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sherry vinegar?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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