By Tiffany Arnold

In honor of the German tradition of white asparagus season, chef Dieter Blosel shares a recipe he considers a simple German classic — white asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

Blosel, executive chef at downtown Hagerstown’s Schmankerl Stube Bavarian Restaurant, plans to serve white asparagus in honor of “spargel saison,” or “white asparagus season” in German.

Spargel saison lasts from mid-April through June, though the restaurant will celebrate the season Tuesday, April 20, through Sunday, April 25.
“I grew up with it,” said Blosel, 40, who came to Hagerstown from Nuremberg 11 years ago. “It’s the sort of thing you’d eat for Sunday dinner.”

In Maryland, harvest times for asparagus are between April 25 and June 15, according to the Maryland State Archives’ harvest calendar. Blosel said in the United States, grocery stores sell white asparagus just as they sell green asparagus.

California supplies nearly 80 percent of the country’s green asparagus, according to California Asparagus Commission. White asparagus stalks are covered with soil or opaque plastic to prevent exposure to sunlight; this “blanches” the stalks and keeps them white. If the plant is allowed to grow in sunlight, the stalks will become green.

Once cooked, white asparagus stalks are creamier and have a milder taste than green asparagus. But there’s a catch. “Green asparagus is easier to prepare,” Blosel said. White asparagus must be peeled before it’s cooked, and Blosel said cooks should be prepared to lose at least a third of the stalk’s diameter in this process.

Also, between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches of the stalk must be cut from the base before cooking. When picking white asparagus, Blosel said to look for stalks that are medium-sized in thickness. Stalks that are too thin tend not to be fork friendly; plus, they’re too tough to peel.

Really thick stalks can seem too tough to the bite.
Of course, the fresher, the better, he said. But the prep work is the hardest part. Once the white asparagus is peeled, you’re ready to boil the stalks.

When boiling, pay attention to the firmness of the stalks, Blosel said. The stalks are fully cooked when they’re floppy. But if your stalks droop and sag, they’re probably overcooked.

Blosel served boiled white asparagus with a homemade hollandaise dipping sauce. He pan-fried a slice of ham and served baked potatoes to go with the white asparagus. Slices of country ham works well for a regional touch. Green asparagus works just as well as an alternate, if you’re in a pinch.

Recipe

Boiled white asparagus with hollandaise sauce 1/2 pound per person of white asparagus spears (use 1 pound per person if the asparagus is going to be the main dish) 1/2 pound butter
3 egg yolks
4 to 5 tablespoons of white wine
Salt, to taste, Cayenne pepper, to taste Worcestershire sauce, a few drops
Lemon juice, a few drops or to taste. Boil the white asparagus stalks to desired firmness.

To make the hollandaise sauce, clarify the butter. In a separate dish over a water bath, heat the egg yolks and the wine. Whisk until creamy.
Once creamy, remove from the heat. Slowly incorporate the butter, whisking continually. If mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water. If it’s too thin, add more butter.

Once the sauce has reached desired consistency, add the salt, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Add the lemon juice to adjust taste, as needed.
Plate the asparagus stalks. Transfer the hollandaise to a dipping container.

Yields 3 or 4 servings as a side.

Cook’s note: Chef Blosel likes to boil white asparagus in a water with a bit of sugar, salt and lemon juice to offset bitterness in the stalks. Also, if the asparagus is going to be used as the main dish, one pound equates to one serving.

Courtesy Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, MD