The white asparagus is a delicate and special veggie that Germany reveres and anticipates each Spring. The “hollandaise” sauce I make is a mustard sauce to augment the flavors on the plate. Give it a try to see what you think, it is worth the effort. Photo by PattyCooks.
Ingredients
“Hollandaise” Sauce
2 large egg yolks (110c, 1.22k, 5.4p, 0f)
1/4C no fat milk (22.5c, 3.25k, 2p, 0f)
1T lemon juice (7c, 2.45k, .11p, .1f)
½C unsalted European butter (800c, 0k, 0p, 0f)
Pinch kosher salt
1T Yonkers Deli Sweet Hot Mustard* (30c, 3k, 0p, 0f)
1/4t cayenne
1/4t white pepper (1.75c, .41k, .06p, .16f)
Asparagus
1 bunch trimmed + peeled white asparagus (45c, 9.3k, 5.25p, 4.5f)
3T Chopped parsley (3c, .72k, .33p, .3f)
White asparagus must be peeled from the mid-top down to the base before cutting off 1/2″ or so base. Then traditionally it is steamed to perfection and doused with sauce. Photo by PattyCooks.
Dish totals 1019.25c, 20.35k, 13.15p, 5.06f
Serving 3 (Sauce makes ~15T, thus 1T= 64.75c, .69k)
Per serving 339.75c, 6.78k, 4.38p, 1.69f
Directions
First, make the “Hollandaise” Sauce. Melt the butter. Separate egg yolks from the whites (save the whites in the fridge for some other use). Whisk the egg yolks in a small pan, and then add in the butter. Add in all the ingredients and whisk. Once combined, place pan on heat to gently cook the mixture until just slightly thick, keep mixing with the whisk to prevent burning and turning into an egg dish. After a couple of minutes remove from heat, taste and adjust if needed, and then pour over the cooked asparagus.
2) Peeling white asparagus: The outer skins are bitter, thus it needs to be removed. Use a veggie peeler, start from the upper part of the spear moving down. Do not peel the top tips. You must peel and cut off the pithy bottom. You do not need to peel other versions of asparagus. (Save the peelings and cut off parts to make Spargel Soup. Also if you choose to steam the asparagus, save that water too for the soup.)
3) Cook asparagus after peeling and cutting off the pithy ends.
- Choice 1: Warm 3T butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peeled and trimmed asparagus, lemon zest and juice, salt + pepper; stir to combine. Cover and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then serve.
- Choice 2: Steam standing up with the head of the spears not in the water. Once soft take out, plate, top with sauce and serve.
4) A typical dinner I would experience would consist of the asparagus with sauce on top, several small boiled-then-butterfried new potatoes with chopped parsley, and some thinly sliced dry ham (or a schnitzel if you want). There would be butter and bread on the table and a glass of dry white Riesling wine.
[x] Flexitarian + Omnivore
[x] Vegetarian
[x] Pescatarians
[x] Gluten free
[x] Keto
[O] Mediterranean Diet
[O] Lectin Avoidance: egg, milk
[x] Oxilate Avoidance
[x] Purine Avoidance
[x} Allergies: EGGS, MILK
— with changes —
[x] Vegan: Add flavorful mustard to a vegan mayo to replicate the sauce
[x] Weight Maint: Limit the sauce which has lots of butter
Comment
Do not cook these in an aluminum pot as it reacts to the metal and I have heard they can turn gray.
I have “Hollandaise” in quotes becuase this is not exactly the thick, tastey, fatty and high caloric sauce of yore. This is a version that approximates it enough so that the food tastes good and it is low cal enough I can eat it. 1T of a regular Hollandaise suace is 82.5c and I have reduced it to 64.75c per T. I will work on this recipe to get the number still lower while keeping the texture and flavor.
*Use Dijon or any mustard you like. Be sure to taste this sauce so it has a flavor you are looking for be it hot (cayenne), mustary (Dijon), sweet-hot (Yonkers Deli Mustard), the choices are endless. Just do not use American Yellow mustard as it is a bit too brash for the delicate asparagus.
Spring is a special time in many parts of Germany. Spargelzeit (asparagus time or season) runs from mid to end of April untill mid or end of June (ending on 24 June). This is the time during which farmers harvest the much anticipated white gold. Green, purple and white asperagus taste somewhat the same, but the white ones are grown completely covered in soil so they never have a chance to turn green. Like red cabbage, the soil specifics contribute to flavors and quality of the food. These much aniticpated delicacies are best when freshly picked by hand and are moist. (Folks often drive to the farms to buy right off the farmer.)
In Germany you would cook about 1# per guest. Here it would be a major portion of your plate, but it would be served with the other things I menioned. Heck folks love it so much they would just eat a bowl of them with a little butter and salt.
The white asparagus will have a white color, very straight spears, the tips will be tightly closed. The picture accompanying this recipe is a perfect specimum. While it is true for all asparagus, the white variety will make your urine smell even stronger than the green variety — you have been warned. In Germany we just think of it as proof your insides are getting a good cleaning.
