Poached white asparagus with white wine sauce, butter-fried leeks and herb oil – Simple and elegant.
Poached white asparagus with white wine sauce and butter-fried leeks is spring on a plate 🌿
A simple but genuinely elegant dish in which the white asparagus takes centre stage. The asparagus is cooked directly in the light, creamy white wine sauce, slowly releasing its flavour as it poaches – which gives the sauce a lovely depth and makes it taste quite exceptional.
The dish is finished with butter-fried leeks, which add both sweetness and a little bite that plays beautifully against the tender asparagus and the silky sauce. The combination is simple, yet full of flavour.
It is a remarkably easy dish to make, yet it feels luxurious and light at the same time. Perfect as a lunch or a light supper – ideally served with good bread on the side.
It also works very well as a starter – in which case I would recommend making half the quantity.
A lovely seasonal vegetarian dish in which a few good ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves.
The season’s best white asparagus recipe
White asparagus is a true seasonal favourite in spring and perfectly suited to lunches, starters and light main courses. It can take centre stage, be served as a side, or simply add an extra layer of flavour to all sorts of dishes.
When cooked gently – as here, poached in a creamy white wine sauce – its mild, delicate flavour is shown off at its very best. White asparagus with white wine sauce is a classic pairing that works just as well in vegetarian dishes as in more luxurious servings with shellfish, for example.
Serve the dish with good bread and you have an easy yet impressive meal that suits spring and summer perfectly.
White asparagus with white wine sauce and leeks
Ingredients
- 8 large white asparagus spears – approx. 200 g per person
- Optional: a few fresh green herbs or microgreens, to garnish
- Optional: herb oil – click here for the recipe
White wine sauce
- 50 g butter
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 300 ml dry white wine
- 200 ml stock – chicken or vegetable
- 400 ml cream whipping cream (38% fat) or cooking cream
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter-fried leeks
- 50 g butter
- 3 leeks, sliced into rings
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
- Peel the white asparagus. Start just below the tip and peel towards the base. Go over the same spot a couple of times so you remove all of the tough outer skin – and trim off the woody ends.
- Cut the spears in half across the middle and set aside.
- Melt the butter for the white wine sauce in a small saucepan and sweat the shallots in it until soft and translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half. Then add the stock, cream and Dijon mustard and bring the sauce to the boil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Lay the white asparagus in the sauce and poach over a medium heat for 6-10 minutes, depending on thickness. They should be tender but not soft.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter for the leeks in a frying pan. Fry the leeks for about 3-5 minutes – or until they have wilted and softened slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Take the sauce off the heat and divide the white asparagus between 4 deep plates. Top with the butter-fried leeks and, if you like, a scattering of microgreens or similar.
Nutrition
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Hej Bettina
Tusind tak for de søde ord. Det gør mig så glad at høre:)
Warm wishes, Dianna