Name: How to prepare white asparagus
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 400 g
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500 g Asparagus; 50 g butter

Step by step recipe

Step 1

There's no need to wash the asparagus before peeling - you can do that afterwards.

Step 2

Peeling

Place the asparagus on a cutting board, ideally a little higher than your work surface.

Step 3

Using a peeler, make a movement from the head to the foot, stopping a good 1 cm from the foot of the asparagus, there's no need to go all the way...

Step 4

...then rotate the asparagus slightly and repeat, until you've gone all the way around the asparagus.

Step 5

At the end, break off the stalk - chefs call it "the wood" - along with the peelings, and throw it away (in the compost).

Step 6

Your asparagus is completely peeled, ready to be washed and cooked.

Step 7

Here's a short video showing the complete peeling process.

Step 8 - ⌛ 20 min.

Do this for all your asparagus, then wash and drain.

Step 9 - ⌛ 10 min.

Cooking "À l'anglaise"

This is the simplest method: bring a pan of water to the boil, season with salt, and plunge in the peeled asparagus.

Cook until the asparagus melts, about 10 minutes. The tip of a knife should pierce the bottom of the asparagus easily ("as if in butter").

Step 10 - ⌛ 2 min.

How to prepare white asparagus : Step 10

Then drain the asparagus...

Step 11

...then set aside on a kitchen towel or paper towel.

This is important because asparagus cooked in this way always gives off a little water afterwards, which is best drained off.

Step 12

Cooking "À court mouillement"

A more sophisticated method, asparagus is cooked in a mixture of butter and water, which then reduces and concentrates the flavors.

In a frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, melt a large knob of butter.

Step 13

Pour in the peeled asparagus, season with salt and pepper, then stir a little, and add enough water to reach halfway up the asparagus (about 1 or 2 glasses).

Step 14

Cover with a sheet of baking paper...

Step 15

...and put a lid on it.

Step 16

Cook until melted, about 10 minutes, a knife tip should pierce the bottom of the asparagus stem very easily ("as if in butter").

Remove the paper and lid for the last 3-4 minutes to reduce the cooking juices.

Step 17

Drain the asparagus, and it's ready for your recipe, or to be eaten as is, with a mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce, for example.

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	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats	Calories	Energy
Per 100 g	2 g RDI=4 %	4 g RDI=2 %	< 1 g	28 kcal RDI=1 %	117 kJ RDI=1 %
Whole recipe	12 g RDI=18 %	20 g RDI=8 %	2 g RDI=2 %	140 kcal RDI=7 %	586 kJ RDI=7 %