Flemish Asparagus
The typical Flemish asparagus is white, as it is grown covered in soil to prevent photosynthesis. This prevents the asparagus turning green and results in a taste a little sweeter and much tenderer than the green asparagus. It is generally harvested from late April to early June. In Flanders, due to the short growing season and demand for local produce, asparagus commands a premium and the asparagus season is the highlight of the foodie calendar as it is often nicknamed “white gold”.
Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten: once the buds start to open, the shoots quickly turn woody and become strongly flavored. The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world, typically as an appetizer or a vegetable side dish. In the Flemish style, it is mostly boiled or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce and/of melted butter.
Instructions:
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs
- Peel the asparagus with a potato peeler from the head to the foot and remove the hard stem
- Rinse the asparagus
- Boil the asparagus in lightly salted water for 20 to 30 minutes
- Remove the asparagus from the water. Draine on a dish
- Arrange the asparagus on a serving dish
- Surround the asparagus with the eggs, which have been cut in half
- Pour over the warm, melted butter
- Garnish with the chopped parsley.