White Asparagus (Spargel) - 1st May 2020
The king of vegetables, white asparagus from Germany, now back
in season!
Why is the white asparagus considered an exclusive
vegetable? Firstly, it takes three years to grow them. They are grown
underground inside mound of soils to prevent them from turning green and every
spear is hand-picked carefully by the farmers. On the palate, they have a much
more delicate flavour than their green cousins.
In Europe, the white asparagus is considered a rare spring
delicacy and they are highly sought after by restaurants and chefs. Our white
asparagus arrive weekly, direct from the producer in Germany, Spargelhof
Holste, Marfeld, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).
Storing and Handling White Asparagus
1. Do not keep asparagus more than three days after purchase. Keep it in a
loosely-wrapped, damp kitchen towel in the vegetable drawer of the
refrigerator.
2. Handle asparagus carefully to minimize breakage. White asparagus is less
flexible than green and can snap off, especially right behind the head.
3. White asparagus must be peeled, as the outside is fibrous and even woody
at times. You can use a common vegetable peeler or an asparagus peeler.
4. Starting just below the head, peel toward the cut end. Turn
the asparagus slightly and repeat until the whole stalk has been peeled.
5. Once all the asparagus has been peeled, cut off the cut ends
about one inch up. In doing this, if you notice any more fibres sticking to the
asparagus, peel it away. The pleasure in eating this asparagus once cooked is
greatly diminished when you try to cut it with fibre strands still on it, or
put it in your mouth and then try to chew the strands.
Getting Ready to Cook Asparagus
There are several ways to cook asparagus, with
steaming and boiling being the most common for white asparagus.
You may use any pan or pot which has room enough for the
asparagus to lie flat in the water and not be bent while boiling.
The water you are cooking the asparagus in usually
contains a little butter, salt and a pinch of sugar. The water used to boil the
asparagus can be used for soup stock.
Serving a Simple Asparagus Dinner to Friends and
Family
Asparagus is usually served very
simply. For your asparagus dinner, you will need:
-
At least 400g white asparagus per
person.
-
Melted butter, in a gravy dish or
chafing dish.
-
Thinly sliced cooked ham or
air-dried ham, or both.
-
Boiled new potatoes, about three
or four per person.
You may also want to serve the
asparagus with:
-
Hollandaise sauce
-
Lemon slices
- Wiener Schnitzel
-
Pork or beef medallions
-
Salmon or trout
Credit:
www.thespruceeats.com
