White Gold: Asperges uit Nederland
Enjoying a meal of traditional “White Gold”, prepared by the same friends who introduced me to the dish well over a decade ago in the heart of white asparagus region, south Brabant, Netherlands.
When I think of the Netherlands, one of my fondest memories comes from more than a decade ago when I had my first taste of white asparagus while on an adventure with dear Dutch friends. They took me by boat to a floating barge community of squatters, anchored near land where the farmer allowed them to grow their own vegetables. We lounged around a fire eating steamed white asparagus picked that day accompanied by the potatoes we dug, hardboiled eggs we borrowed from the chickens running around, and ham someone brought—all smothered in homemade Hollandaise sauce. This is the traditional way to enjoy it. We ate ourselves into blissful comas and fell asleep under the stars on a catamaran.
I found myself back visiting the same friends, in white asparagus region and season this month in southern Brabant. This is where the soil and growing conditions are the best and the Dutch have been harvesting it here since they imported the plant from Egypt hundreds of years ago.
“White Gold” also known as “the queen of darkness” is white due to farming techniques that restrict the plant from light and undergoing photosynthesis. Each stalk is laboriously hand-picked, and the whiter the stalk, the higher the value, commanding prices as high as $40 per kilo—four times the price of green ones. The taste compared to green or purple asparagus is much more mild, less bitter, the texture more tender and overall just purely divine—a true delicacy. Not only is it nutritious, but it has been lauded for many health benefits, including weight loss and increasing the libido, dating back to Roman times.
For best results, use a very fine vegetable peeler to remove the tough skin before gently boiling. Save those skins to make asparagus soup!
INGREDIENTS & METHOD for four
1 lb of white asparagus
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and set aside
1 lb of young potatoes
4 or 5 slices of leftover cooked ham
warm herbed butter, or better yet—homemade hollandaise
chopped parsley and / or chives for garnish
Wash and slice potatoes in half, start them before the asparagus, boiling for 15 - 20 minutes until tender.
After a rinse and pat dry, place the asparagus flat on a cutting board to gently peel with a thin vegetable peeler. They are fragile.
Just cover with water in a pot where they can lie flat and not too crowded. Bring to a gentle rolling boil in salted water. Depending on thickness, this will take 8 - 15 minutes. Check after 6 - 8 minutes by pulling one out of the water, it should start to droop, not fold when held on one end, and easily give way when pierced by a fork. You want them tender but still slightly al dente. Do not let them go too far or they will get mushy.
While your asparagus is boiling slice/shred the ham as desired, slice the boiled eggs and prepare the garnishes.
Time out your hollandaise sauce / warm herbed butter to align with the last few minutes of the asparagus cooking and carefully draining so everything finishes around the same time and quite warm while plating.
Plate it with love
I recommend being a little more generous with the hollandaise than pictured here. I added a whole lot more after I made the photo!
SERVE WITH WINE under $20
We took advantage of local recommendations and offering of an award-winning Sauvignon Blanc specifically recognized for pairing with white asparagus. We paid a mere 9 euros for this gorgeous libation. I am sure any crisp, light white will do to allow the delicate flavours of this dish to shine. Enjoy!!
