Homemade dill bernaise sauce for my white asparagus with smoked salmon… Because these flavors are a perfect match for each other!
Smoked salmon and white asparagus, one of my favorite ways to eat this delicious white gold!
I bought a bunch of fresh dill at the farmers market earlier that day.
So because of that I also thought I should prepare a great little creamy sauce with dill to serve with these White asparagus with smoked salmon.
White Asparagus With Smoked Salmon & Dill Sauce
Besides, dill is a good friend of smoked salmon.
Think of the popular Swedish gravad lax or cured salmon.
I decided to go for a simple dill dressing.
And why not also make these white asparagus with smoked salmon a tad extra creamy and buttery. And make a classic bernaise sauce (or French sauce béarnaise).
Bernaise is originally made with fresh tarragon, I turned it into a savory refreshing dill version!
Smoked Salmon
White asparagus with smoked salmon are just made for each other!
I love to serve this combo of 3 ingredients: cold smoked salmon, cooked lukewarm and tender al dente white asparagus topped with the freshly homemade dill bernaise.
Absolutely delish, try it out!!
Do you like my white asparagus with smoked salmon?
Then you should also check out my Flemish style asparagus with crumbled eggs and melted butter!
Enjoy!
White Asparagus With Smoked Salmon: The Recipe
Homemade dill bernaise sauce for my white asparagus with smoked salmon... These flavors are a perfect match for each other!
- 8 thick fresh white asparagus
- 5,5 oz smoked salmon (155 g), thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp onion chopped
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3,5 oz unsalted butter (100 g), ice cold and diced
- a good handful fresh dill chopped
- pepper
- salt
- First off: peel the white asparagus. Place them horizontally flat on a clean chopping board and hold them with one hand by their heads. Then with your free hand carefully run a vegetable peeler from the heads towards the bottom part. Turn the asparagus as you go until you have removed every inch of the tough skin.
- Once you have peeled all the white asparagus, check the bottom parts and chop them off if they are dried out. Fill a large and wide pan with plenty of cold water and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Then add the peeled white asparagus to the boiling water and cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes (depending on how thick they are) until the white asparagus are tender.
- Then drain the cooked white asparagus and keep them covered under some tinfoil until needed later on. In the meantime add the chopped yellow onion and the red wine vinegar to a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Let the vinegar reduce fully. Then take the saucepan off the heat and let the onions cool for about 5 minutes. Then add the egg yolk. Season with a pinch of pepper and salt.
- Quickly whisk the yolk and the lukewarm cooked onion so it doesn't scramble. Put the saucepan back over very low heat.
- One by one add the pieces of the cold diced unsalted butter and continuously move it around on a fork until melted. Keep the heat very low.
- The sauce takes a while to come together, take your time. It needs to be done carefully so don't hurry or the creamy bernaise sauce will split. The sauce will slightly thicken and become creamy after a while. Season with another a pinch of pepper and salt. Then add the freshly chopped dill to the sauce.
- Check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Then take the saucepan with the dill bernaise sauce off the heat. Divide the thin slices of smoked salmon over plates and top with the cooked white asparagus. Drizzle the white asparagus with smoked salmon with the creamy dill bernaise sauce and serve immediately.
White Asparagus With Smoked Salmon & Dill Sauce
I hope you also enjoyed these white asparagus with smoked salmon!
Give that dill bernaise sauce a try one day because you will love it!
White asparagus are very popular in Belgium because they are a real treat. Fresh white asparagus are at their best in April, May and June.
How to cook white asparagus?
There are a few methods to cook white asparagus.
The most common way to cook white asparagus is to peel the white asparagus and boil them in hot salted water until they are tender. That is how I prepare them mostly.
Easy and delicious!
For how long?
That kind of depends on how thick or thin the white asparagus are.
Thin asparagus only need 4 to 5 minutes. Thicker ones are usually cooked for 6 to 8 minutes.
I like my cooked white asparagus quite al dente and still a little crunchy. That is because I just hate mushy white asparagus! They make me think of the canned white asparagus that are a far cry from freshly cooked white asparagus.
How do you cook spargel?
Spargel is the German name for asparagus so cooking method is just the same: boil them.
A traditional German white asparagus recipe contains boiled white asparagus topped with a creamy hollandaise sauce, a traditional white asparagus sauce.
At times a poached egg is added as well.
How do you grill white asparagus?
Clean them first.
Peel the white asparagus, remove the bottom parts (they might be dried out) and place the peeled white asparagus on a baking tray. Then brush the asparagus lightly with some olive oil and season them with a little pinch of pepper and salt.
I also like to rub the peeled asparagus with a sliced lemon if I have some.
Then place the baking tray with the white asparagus under a hot grill and grill the asparagus for 3 minutes. Then turn the asparagus and grill them for another 3 to 4 minutes until enough.
Hey, you can even prepare them on a barbecue if you like!
How do you steam white asparagus?
Peel the white asparagus, then remove the bottom parts and place the peeled white asparagus in a steaming basket. You might have to chop them in half if the asparagus are too large to fit into the steaming basket.
Then cover the basket and steam the asparagus over boiling water for about 4 to 5, depends again on how thick or thin the white asparagus are.
How to cook white asparagus in the oven?
Peel the white asparagus, remove the bottom parts and drizzle them with some olive oil.
Place the white asparagus on a baking tray lined with tinfoil. Then roast them in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes until tender.
Cooking time depends on how thick they are. Check the tenderness regularly.
Difference
So what is the difference between white asparagus and green asparagus?
Apart from their color of course.
White asparagus need to be peeled, their skins are not edible. Green asparagus have a more ‘vegetable’ flavor, kind of earthy and grassy. White asparagus are much sweeter and milder in taste and have a silkier texture.
What does white asparagus taste like?
Good question.
It is hard to find a vegetable that is similar in taste, especially for the cooked white asparagus. Raw white asparagus are very crunchy and fresh, I would compare them with fresh endives or chicory.
What is purple asparagus?
It is closer to the green asparagus. Serve purple asparagus preferably raw. Cooking them will change their color from purple to green.
Here is a sauteed white asparagus recipe!
Any idea what to do with a bunch of fresh white asparagus?
I already showed you how to make white asparagus with smoked salmon above. Let’s also cook up some baked white asparagus this time. Ever thought of sauteed white asparagus?
There is so much more to do with white asparagus than just boiling or steaming them! You can also eat them raw in a carpaccio, check it out! Or turn them into a delicious white asparagus and fresh chervil broth…
Or why not just bake the white asparagus in a little knob of unsalted butter, plain and simple.
Butter
You will adore these caramelised asparagus because they are a real treat. I admit I normally use just a little olive and some pepper and salt. Nothing more.
But this time I thought I would try something else, something different.
So how about unsalted butter, a tad of freshly grated lemon zest, a handful of toasted shaved almonds and also some freshly chopped parsley?
Get those white asparagus nicely caramelised in the melted butter.
A pinch of pepper and salt in the end.
Flavor bomb.
Enjoy!
Easy Sauteed White Asparagus Recipe
You will adore these caramelised asparagus, they are a real treat!
- 6 thick fresh white asparagus
- a good handful almonds shaved
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp lemon zest grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- pepper
- salt
1) Peel the asparagus carefully using a vegetable peeler. Discard the tough skins. Then chop the cleaned white asparagus into bite-size pieces.
2) Pour the shaved almonds in a small non-stick pan and place it over medium heat.
3) Roast the shaved almonds for 2 minutes until golden. Keep an eye on them, it goes fast and the almonds might burn. Toss the almonds almost continuously. Immediately transfer them to a clean plate and let them cool down fully. Don’t leave the almonds to cool in the hot pan or they will burn and turn black.
4) Next up melt the unsalted butter in a large non-stick pan and place it over medium-high heat. Let the butter melt fully and once that is done, add the chopped white asparagus bits.
5) Stir well and bake the white asparagus in the melted butter for a couple of minutes. Season with a little pinch of pepper and salt. After that add the freshly grated lemon zest.
6) Stir again and bake the white asparagus now for another 6 to 8 minutes until they are tender and cooked on the inside and golden and a little caramelised on the outside. Then stir in the freshly chopped parsley and half of the roasted shaved almonds.
7) Give the baked white asparagus a last good stir. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Transfer the baked white asparagus to a clean serving bowl and sprinkle with the rest of the roasted shaved almonds. Serve immediately while still hot.
