Poached White Asparagus with a Hollandaise Sauce
White asparagus, also called ‘white gold,’ served with rich butter sauce is the perfect combination.
Some refer to this dish as Belgian and others as a German dish, either way it is popular in both countries. The asparagus are simply poached, and served with the airy and flavoursome Hollandaise sauce.
It is commonly served as an appetiser, and sometimes as a main vegetarian dish.
Once the asparagus season starts, there are restaurants in Belgium with entire menus dedicated to this white ‘gold.’ In Germany, they even have asparagus festivals where entire villages celebrate this vegetable.
Do white asparagus need peeling?
White asparagus have a thick skin with a good number of fibres. It’s best to peel them for a more enjoyable culinary experience. The base might be woody and hard to chew and should be removed also.
Other dishes with white asparagus
- Pan roasted white asparagus à la Flamande
- White asparagus panna cotta
- White asparagus velouté
- White asparagus risotto
Poached White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
EQUIPMENT (click pictures for details)
Ingredients
- 12-16 pcs white asparagus
- Hollandaise sauce
- 1 pc lemon slice
- 1 tbsp salt
For the garnish
- Fresh herbs such as tarragon parsley or chervil
Instructions
Prepare the hollandaise sauce (see recipe)
Prepare the asparagus
- Peel the outer layer of the white asparagus, align the spear tips and slice off the ends to form spears of equal length.
- Bring a large amount of water to the boil, season with the fresh lemon, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Put the asparagus into the boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for six minutes or until done.
- Remove the asparagus from the water when the spears are ‘al dente.’
- Drain and serve immediately with hollandaise sauce.
Notes
- Some recipes mention adding sugar and/or butter to the boiling water, but we prefer to retain the original taste of the white asparagus.
Looks delicious!
Thanks