In Germany we love to rave about white asparagus but I’m a much bigger fan of the green. I find it less bitter and more delicate. White asparagus wrapped in ham with a hollandaise sauce is a real German classic but for me this recipe can be greened up a bit!
This makes for a lovely starter or as a main with some plain potatoes on the side to soak up the sauce. I make a quick hollandaise that saves you time from standing over the pan making sure that the sauce does not split. I first made this as a quick alternative for an Eggs Benedict breakfast when no one wants to be standing over a pan for too long in the morning! I add plenty of fresh parsley to this dish.
Ingredients:
500g green asparagus
6 slices Parma ham
Olive oil
1 lemon (cut in half)
3 egg yolks
50g creme fraiche
75g butter
Fresh parsley (finely sliced)
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Break the ends off the asparagus and add to a pan of hot water. Boil for just 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Group around 3 or 4 slices of asparagus together and wrap a slice of ham around them. Place in an oven dish. Repeat this with the rest of the asparagus and ham. Drizzle with olive oil and juice of half a lemon and place in the oven for around 20 minutes.
In a large pan heat the butter. Once melted add the yolks (not the whites) and take the pan off the heat. Whisk well and then stir in the creme fraiche. Whisk again and then mix in the fresh parsley.
Plate up the asparagus and drizzle the hollandaise on top.
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