My post title is shorthand for "two kinds of asparagus, cooked two ways" but it's probably not clear. The fact is, it's asparagus season in the Loire Valley. Walt bought a bunch of local white asparagus spears from our favorite vendor in the market on Saturday morning. Then at the supermarket on Sunday morning I noticed bunches of green asparagus spears imported from Spain for just 2€/lb. So I bought a bunch.
We trimmed up the asparagus spears — the white ones need to be peeled, but the green ones don't — and cooked them in a steamer pot. We also cooked some potatoes in the steamer, and we sauteed a couple of little fish fillets and a few big shrimp in olive oil. I made a batch of fresh mayonnaise using an egg yolk, a mixture of olive and sunflower oil, and some white wine vinegar. We had our Sunday lunch, served warm but not hot. I thought the white asparagus tasted sweeter than the green, maybe because it was grown locally and didn't have to travel.
Then, yesterday, Walt made one of his superb asparagus and ham tarts, using both green and white asparagus spears (they're the same plant, just grown differently). The spears are wrapped in ham slices (jambon de Paris), 4 to 6 spears each, and then arranged in a pre-baked pie crust. A savory egg custard containing cream and Parmesan cheese gets poured into the pie shell, and the whole thing is baked in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. Delicious.
wow delicious
ReplyDeleteCan I please ask how long you steam French asparagus for and would it be the same time for boiling in a pan as I don't have a steamer in my caravan? I have never been sure so have never dared to buy it? I'd be grateful for a hint.
ReplyDeleteSteaming or boiling take about the same amount of time, but you have to add in the time it takes to get a pot of water boiling if you choose to boil the asparagus. The steamer needs less water so it can go faster. Asparagus takes about 15 minutes to cook. You just have to keep testing with a skewer to see if it's done. Don't forget to peel the white asparagus.
DeleteThanks for the tips, Ken.
DeleteYes, I have tasted that suberb asparagus tart and it is even better than it looks! I have the same question as Suecee, time
ReplyDeletein a double boiler vs boiling in a pan.
It's a steamer, CHM, not a double boiler, which is the utensil you might use to make an egg custard. See my comment to Suecee above regarding cooking times.
DeleteOh! That’s funny. A number of years ago, for some forgotten reason, I bought a double boiler. Since it wasn’t of very much use, I decided to transform it into a double boiler by drilling holes into the bottom of the upper part. Now, I use it often, but it still looks like a double boiler. That explain my confusion! LOL
DeleteI should stop writing comments when I don't know what I'm writing. Of course, it was to transform it into a steamer, since it was already a double boiler!
Deletethat's a clever idea for a steamer, cam!
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ReplyDeletevotre recette de tarte a l'air délicieuse, je vous l'emprunte, j'adore les asperges !
DeleteAhhh superbe. Looks delicious
ReplyDeleteBoth ways of cooking two kinds of asparagus look delectable. If I could only have one version, it would be a tough choice.
ReplyDeleteExcellent news! We arrive in the Bugey/Savoie region next week, then later on to northern Provence (Nyons). I assumed asparagus would be in season, and now I'm sure. Here in Maine it's more like late May.
ReplyDeleteI love asparagus and will just boil it in a pot with a little water/broth and eat it with mayo. this is when I am alone and no one to impress lol
ReplyDeleteOh my, both dishes look delicious. I wish I could find some asparagus like that around here. The only thing they have in the grocery stores are the little skinny, spindly stalks that are hardly worth cooking!
ReplyDeleteOh, both dishes look delicious! Walt's reminds me a bit of enchiladas (in style). What do you mean by grown differently in regard to the two colors of asparagus?
ReplyDeleteThe white asparagus are 'blanched' by being protected from exposure to the sun. They're grown in sandy soil and the soil is piled up around the spears as they form in springtime, keeping the vegetable white. All asparagus in France used to be the white kind, but nowadays we find green asparagus in the supermarkets and on the open-air markets, both imported and domestic. Green asparagus has become a specialty of the Chambord-Blois area.
DeleteWe tried cooking white asparagus a few times in France, but never liked the result. Fortunately, green asparagus is now readily available when we go to markets in the Spring (hopefully they will be starting next week). On the other hand, we've had white asparagus at restaurants in France and liked them.
DeleteDid you peel the white asparagus spears before cooking them? I think they might also need slightly longer cooking the green asparagus. They have a sweeter flavor, though.
DeleteI learned after cooking them the first time, so the next time I did peel them, and also cooked them longer.
DeleteOh yum.
ReplyDelete