Recipe: White asparagus with speck in orange chervil cream sauce
Even under the current conditions in Germany, you cannot ignore “White Gold” season. Germans mark Spargelzeit by making white asparagus the star of a special meal.
Unlike the green variety, white asparagus must be peeled before cooking. Peel and boil the white asparagus for this recipes.
Then, pour a luscious, creamy, orange white wine sauce spiked with chervil over the cooked asparagus. Add speck or thick cut bacon pieces as well. Leave these out for a lighter, vegetarian version.
SEE ALSO: For the love of Spargel: Why Germany has eased border rules amid the coronavirus pandemic
SEE ALSO: Recipe: Easy white and green Spargel tart
White Asparagus with Speck in Orange Chervil Cream Sauce
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients:
1 kilo white asparagus
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
1 orange
115g speck or thick cut bacon cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
125 ml dry white wine
230g heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Photo: Lora Wiley-Lennartz
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the salt and the sugar.
- While the water is boiling, peel the white asparagus and cut off the woody bottom ends.
- Place the peeled asparagus in the boiling water and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain the asparagus, reserving 125 ml cup of the asparagus water.
- Place the cooked asparagus on a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil and stow in a warm place. Set aside.
- Wash the orange and pat dry.
- If you like, for garnish, peel some thin strips of the orange and set them aside. Zest the orange. Cut the orange in half and juice both halves.
- Peel the shallots and cut into small pieces.
- Place a layer of paper towels next to the stove.
- In a medium-sized skillet heat the thick cut bacon pieces and cook until crispy.
-Transfer the speck or bacon pieces from the pan to the prepared layer of paper towels and blot away the excess grease. Set aside.
- Add the tablespoon of unsalted butter to the pan. when the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook until the shallots are caramelized.
- Add the orange zest to the pan and stir to combine.
- Add the 1/2 cup of the reserved asparagus water to the pan. Add the orange juice to the pan and stir to combine.
- Stir in the tablespoon of orange marmalade. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pan.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan and stir everything together.
- Add the chervil to the sauce and mix it in thoroughly. Mix in the pre-cooked thick cut bacon.
- Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Cook a few more minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened or it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Retrieve the cooked white asparagus from its warm place. Arrange on a serving plate and pour the hot orange chervil cream sauce over the top, garnish with orange peels and chopped fresh chervil and serve.
Lora Wiley-Lennartz is an Emmy nominated television producer and a food/destination blogger who splits her time between Germany and New York City. Read her blog Diary of a Mad Hausfrau or follow her on Facebook for traditional German recipes with a twist.
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Unlike the green variety, white asparagus must be peeled before cooking. Peel and boil the white asparagus for this recipes.
Then, pour a luscious, creamy, orange white wine sauce spiked with chervil over the cooked asparagus. Add speck or thick cut bacon pieces as well. Leave these out for a lighter, vegetarian version.
SEE ALSO: For the love of Spargel: Why Germany has eased border rules amid the coronavirus pandemic
SEE ALSO: Recipe: Easy white and green Spargel tart
White Asparagus with Speck in Orange Chervil Cream Sauce
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients:
1 kilo white asparagus
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
1 orange
115g speck or thick cut bacon cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
125 ml dry white wine
230g heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Photo: Lora Wiley-Lennartz
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the salt and the sugar.
- While the water is boiling, peel the white asparagus and cut off the woody bottom ends.
- Place the peeled asparagus in the boiling water and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain the asparagus, reserving 125 ml cup of the asparagus water.
- Place the cooked asparagus on a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil and stow in a warm place. Set aside.
- Wash the orange and pat dry.
- If you like, for garnish, peel some thin strips of the orange and set them aside. Zest the orange. Cut the orange in half and juice both halves.
- Peel the shallots and cut into small pieces.
- Place a layer of paper towels next to the stove.
- In a medium-sized skillet heat the thick cut bacon pieces and cook until crispy.
-Transfer the speck or bacon pieces from the pan to the prepared layer of paper towels and blot away the excess grease. Set aside.
- Add the tablespoon of unsalted butter to the pan. when the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook until the shallots are caramelized.
- Add the orange zest to the pan and stir to combine.
- Add the 1/2 cup of the reserved asparagus water to the pan. Add the orange juice to the pan and stir to combine.
- Stir in the tablespoon of orange marmalade. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pan.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan and stir everything together.
- Add the chervil to the sauce and mix it in thoroughly. Mix in the pre-cooked thick cut bacon.
- Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Cook a few more minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened or it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Retrieve the cooked white asparagus from its warm place. Arrange on a serving plate and pour the hot orange chervil cream sauce over the top, garnish with orange peels and chopped fresh chervil and serve.
Lora Wiley-Lennartz is an Emmy nominated television producer and a food/destination blogger who splits her time between Germany and New York City. Read her blog Diary of a Mad Hausfrau or follow her on Facebook for traditional German recipes with a twist.
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