Preparing and serving asparagus

Preparing and Serving Asparagus

Asparagus Season

Asparagus can now be bought all year round, like many other fruits and vegetables. There are regions worldwide that offer good quality asparagus throughout the year. At Butch, we admittedly take a patriotic stance on this issue: we buy local asparagus and prefer to wait until it is available. This increases the anticipation and can be compared to Christmas. If every month were Christmas, the magic that makes Christmas so special would soon be gone. And so it is with asparagus. We look forward to it every spring until it finally starts and the small market stalls for asparagus sales are back on the street...
Traditionally, the asparagus season runs from mid-April to St. John's Day on June 24th. Small shifts in the start of the season are weather-dependent, but the asparagus harvest usually takes place in Germany during the aforementioned time.

Asparagus Varieties

White Asparagus
Almost everyone knows the white asparagus spears that are usually offered as a side dish to potatoes in restaurants. White asparagus is so light and delicate because it grows in the ground shielded from light. Before it breaks through the soil, it is cut by hand, as no machine can handle the delicate harvesting work. This manual labor in asparagus harvesting is one of the factors that explain the price of asparagus.

Purple Asparagus
Purple asparagus, also known as purple spargel, is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. Many know it from their vacation in Italy or France. Purple asparagus is not a specific variety, as any white asparagus turns purple when it breaks through the soil. The color is caused by sunlight, which the asparagus wants to "protect" itself from by changing color. Purple asparagus has a more intense flavor than white asparagus. It has a nutty, slightly spicy taste and is sweeter than its white and green relatives.

Green Asparagus
Green asparagus is now giving its white brother a run for its money. Green asparagus can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen, it can be eaten raw in salads, sautéed in vegetable dishes, or gratinated in the oven. A true all-rounder. Since it is more robust than white asparagus, it can even be briefly grilled and tastes fantastic with its nutty roasted flavors.

Buying asparagus

We recommend buying asparagus from your trusted vegetable dealer, at the weekly market, or from the asparagus farmer at one of the asparagus huts. Because: Asparagus should be very fresh when you buy it. A good sign of this is when the asparagus squeaks with freshness. No joke! The typical squeaking sound when two fresh asparagus spears are rubbed together tells you that the asparagus is crispy fresh. The spears should look plump and juicy, and the tips should still be as closed as possible. A look at the asparagus ends also gives you an idea: Dried out or brownish discolored cut surfaces indicate old goods, so better stay away.

If you buy asparagus once and don't get around to preparing it right away, there's a trick we learned from our mothers: Wrap the unpeeled spears in a clean and well-moistened kitchen towel and put them in the vegetable compartment. Please store the asparagus there alone, as it easily absorbs the smells of other foods. Asparagus can be stored like this for two to three days without losing much quality and freshness. You can even stand green asparagus spears upright in water like flowers. However, the same applies here: Please use them up promptly. Real asparagus freaks extend the season by freezing the asparagus. This is quite possible. Peel the asparagus for this, but do not cook it, and freeze it in portions. Do not thaw before use, but put it frozen into boiling water.

Peeling asparagus

White asparagus must be completely peeled, otherwise its woody outer skin can spoil the enjoyment. With green and purple asparagus, it is usually sufficient to peel the spears in the lower third. If you're not sure you've really removed the woody parts, just take a bite and chew on a raw piece of spear.

We recommend peeling the asparagus spears starting at the top and working your way down. The head should be left unpeeled. If you hold the asparagus spear diagonally over your wrist, it will have a good grip and you will avoid breaking the delicate spear. In the magazine above, we have put together various peelers to help make peeling easy and quick. Whether it's a cross peeler or a pendulum peeler, it depends on which type of peeler you personally prefer. All peelers - when used correctly - are peelers, because we want to peel as little of the precious asparagus as possible. But the skin and the cut ends can also be used: wash the asparagus before peeling, then you can use the cut-offs and skins again: when you have removed the asparagus from the cooking water, let the asparagus remains steep in it. Do not boil, otherwise the whole thing can become bitter. Drain, reduce the broth and create a base for asparagus soup or sauce from it.

Cooking asparagus

Cooking asparagus is actually very easy, the only challenge is not to damage the delicate - and delicious - tips. That's why it's best to cook the asparagus standing up in a special high asparagus pot, or gently in a steamer pot on a rack. You can find both here in the shop.

Add some salt, sugar, butter and lemon juice to the cooking water. Now you ask, all together? Or either or? There are different opinions on this. Salt prevents the asparagus from losing all its minerals and its fine taste when cooking. The sugar in the water can counteract a bitter note that can arise when the asparagus is cut too close to the root. Butter prevents the spears from sticking together and lemon juice preserves the beautiful color of white asparagus. Functional lemon squeezers are available here at Butch.
Asparagus should never be cooked for too long, otherwise it will become mushy, and it doesn't deserve that. We cook asparagus like pasta - so "al dente": it can still have a little bite when served. If you prick an asparagus spear with a fork, you will notice if it is still a little firm in the core. This is exactly the right time to bring the asparagus to the table.

The best way to serve asparagus is with tongs. There are special asparagus tongs, but spaghetti tongs are also suitable for this purpose. Transporting with tongs prevents the stalks from bending. Our favorite is the fish palette from triangle tools. The 18 cm wide shovel supports the delicate asparagus stalks perfectly, and the integrated slots allow the cooking water to drain off. Simply perfect! We have put together a good selection of tools for serving for you in the shop above.

Frying asparagus

You can also fry asparagus in a pan. Either cut diagonally into pieces, for example for an Asian stir-fry, or whole. For frying the whole stalks, we use an oval pan from Butch, which is available for fish. The asparagus has enough space in it and can be turned easily. You can get an oval fish pan with a non-stick coating here at Butch. Especially green and violet asparagus is suitable for frying, as it has a firmer texture than white asparagus and can withstand the less gentle frying process well due to its nutty flavor.

Baking asparagus

Our favorite recipe for asparagus, because it's totally easy and simply delicious: Put the peeled asparagus stalks in a baking dish, add butter flakes or olive oil according to your preference, sprinkle with Fleur de Sel and into the oven. It tastes particularly delicious if you brush the asparagus stalks with the melted butter or olive oil in between. This works best with a pastry brush. If you sprinkle grated hard cheese on the asparagus after about half of the baking time, i.e. gratinate it, it becomes almost a main course, or at least a fancy side dish. Suitable baking dishes, roasting pans, cheese graters and pastry brushes are available in our asparagus special.

Asparagus partners

What sauce comes to mind immediately when you think of asparagus? Of course, melted butter and hollandaise sauce. These are THE classics for asparagus, especially when served with potatoes. For the butter, we recommend a small saucepan, preferably with a spout, or a pouring pot. This saves you the hassle of pouring and scooping the liquid butter. And if hollandaise sauce, then homemade. Mixing bowls, whisks for beating and ladles for serving - you can find all of this here at Butch.

One last tip: Two spices that go very well with asparagus are nutmeg and cardamom. Try it out, use sparingly and enjoy!