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White asparagus with hollandaise
Spargel mit Sauce hollandaise: Schwetzingen white asparagus with new potatoes and butter sauce
From mid-April until 24 June, Spargelzeit takes over Baden, and the little town of Schwetzingen near Heidelberg holds its asparagus market in front of the palace. The thick white spears are peeled, simmered with a pinch of sugar and a knob of butter, and served on a warm platter with new potatoes and a jug of hollandaise, often as a meal on its own. The sauce is thickened with egg yolks warmed gently to about 70 °C, which also takes them past the safe point. The common mistake is peeling too lightly: the woody outer layer stays stringy, so peel generously from just under the tip. Chef's tip: save the peelings and ends to simmer in the cooking water first; it makes the spears taste far more of asparagus.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the asparagus
For the hollandaise
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Snap or cut 2 cm off the base of each 3 ⅓ lb white asparagus spear. Peel with a vegetable peeler from just below the tip to the end, turning the spear so no strip is missed. Keep the peelings.
15 minStep 2: Put the peelings and ends in a wide pan with 3 litres of water, the 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ½ oz butter, and simmer for 10 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
10 minStep 3: Meanwhile boil the 1 ¾ lb small new potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender, drain and keep warm.
20 minStep 4: Slide the asparagus into the barely simmering stock and cook for 10–14 minutes, depending on thickness. It is ready when a spear lifted in the middle bends slightly and a knife meets only light resistance at the base.
12 minStep 5: For the hollandaise, melt the 7 oz unsalted butter until foaming and keep it warm. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water without touching it, add the 3 egg yolks and 2 tbsp water and whisk for 3–4 minutes until thick, pale and the whisk leaves a trail. The yolks should feel hot to a fingertip (about 158°F) but never scramble.
5 minStep 6: Off the heat, whisk in the warm butter a thin stream at a time, leaving the milky solids in the pan. If it gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water. Season with 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt and 1 pinch cayenne pepper.
4 minStep 7: Lift the asparagus onto a warm platter with a slotted spoon, toss the potatoes with the 2 tbsp parsley and serve with the sauce. Common mistake: making the sauce too early; it holds only about 20 minutes in a warm place.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 46 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does white asparagus with hollandaise take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 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 butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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