Spargel

Spargel mit Hollandaise, Kartoffeln und Schinken

Germany's beloved spring classic: fat white asparagus gently poached and served with silky hollandaise, boiled potatoes, and thinly sliced boiled ham.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3¼ lb) white asparagus, thick, fat spears if possible; peel to the tips
• •20 g (¾ oz) butter, plus extra for serving, melted
• •10 g (2 tsp) salt, for the cooking water
• •5 g (1 tsp) sugar, balances bitterness of white asparagus
• •1 whole lemon peel, or 1 tsp lemon juice
• •800 g (1¾ lb) waxy potatoes, e.g. Sieglinde or Yukon Gold
• •8 slices cooked ham, German Kochschinken or Katenschinken, thinly sliced
• •4 whole (4 large) egg yolks, for hollandaise; use pasteurized if concerned about raw eggs
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar, or dry white wine
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) water, for the reduction
• •200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, melted and warm, for hollandaise
• •1 pinch cayenne pepper
• •1 pinch white pepper
• •flaky salt, to taste, for finishing
• •chives, to taste, finely snipped, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the asparagus: lay each spear flat and snap off the woody ends (about 2-3 cm / 1 in). Peel from just below the tip down to the base with a vegetable peeler, removing the fibrous outer skin. Rinse briefly.
2. 2 Make the hollandaise reduction: in a small pan, combine 30 ml white wine vinegar with 30 ml water and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside.
3. 3 Make the hollandaise: melt 200 g butter and keep warm. In a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), whisk 4 egg yolks with 2-3 tsp of the reduced vinegar until pale and ribbony. Very slowly drizzle in the warm butter while whisking constantly until thick and silky. Season with a pinch of cayenne, white pepper, and salt. Keep warm over the warm (not simmering) water bath, whisking occasionally.
4. 4 Cook the potatoes: place 800 g waxy potatoes in cold salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer 18-22 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain, peel if desired, and keep warm.
5. 5 Poach the asparagus: in a wide pan just large enough to lay the spears flat, combine water with 10 g salt, 5 g sugar, 20 g butter, and the strip of lemon peel. Bring to a gentle boil. Lay the asparagus in, add more water if needed so spears are just covered, and simmer gently (do not boil hard, which bruises the tips) for 12-18 minutes depending on thickness. Doneness cue: a knife tip should slide into the thick end with just slight resistance.
6. 6 Lift the asparagus out with tongs, drain on a warmed plate, and arrange on warmed plates with the potatoes and 2 slices of folded ham per person.
7. 7 Spoon the hollandaise generously over the asparagus, finish with a few drops of melted butter, a pinch of flaky salt, and snipped chives. Serve immediately.