Spargelsalat (White Asparagus Salad)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow pan or asparagus pot
• •Sharp vegetable peeler (Y-peeler or swivel)
• •Small whisk
• •Slotted spoon or kitchen tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel the asparagus

   Hold each spear just below the tip and peel downward with a sharp vegetable peeler, working from about two centimeters below the tip all the way to the base. Turn the spear and peel every side. White asparagus has a thick, fibrous skin that will not soften no matter how long you cook it, so peel generously. Better to lose a little flesh than to serve someone a mouthful of strings. Snap or cut off the woody bottom centimeter of each spear. Save the peelings and ends.

   Keep the peelings and trimmed ends. You can simmer them in the poaching water for ten minutes before adding the asparagus to build a stronger cooking liquid for your vinaigrette. Gretel never wasted a scrap of Spargel.
2. 2

   Prepare the poaching liquid

   Bring the water to a simmer in a wide, shallow pan or a tall asparagus pot if you have one. Add the salt, sugar, butter, and lemon juice. The sugar is not there to make the asparagus sweet. White asparagus develops a slight bitterness, and the sugar balances that without you ever tasting it as sweetness. The lemon keeps the spears pale. The butter adds a gentle richness to the cooking liquid, which matters because you're going to use that liquid again in the dressing.

3. 3

   Poach the asparagus

   Lower the peeled asparagus into the simmering liquid. Arrange them in a single layer if your pan allows it. Reduce the heat so the water barely trembles. Poach, not boil. Boiling batters them around and the tips fall apart before the stems cook through. Depending on the thickness of your spears, this takes twelve to eighteen minutes. Test by lifting a spear with a fork at the thickest point. It should bend gently under its own weight and the fork should meet slight resistance, not nothing. You want tender with a whisper of bite. Overcooked asparagus is a sadness I wouldn't wish on anyone.

   If your spears vary in thickness, remove the thinner ones first and let the fat ones go a couple of minutes longer. Uniformity is a myth in the vegetable world. Work with what you have.
4. 4

   Make the warm vinaigrette

   While the asparagus poaches, whisk together three tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid with the vinegar and mustard. The mustard helps the dressing emulsify and hold together instead of separating on the plate. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing looks creamy and slightly thickened. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt, and white pepper. Taste it. The dressing should be vinegar-forward, with the cooking liquid giving it a gentle asparagus flavor underneath. If it tastes flat, add more vinegar. Austrian Marinade leans tart, not oily. That's what makes it refreshing.

   Use white pepper, not black. Black pepper leaves dark specks on the pale asparagus and the dressing, and it's sharper than you want here. White pepper is gentler, and it's what Austrian cooks reach for whenever the dish is light-colored.
5. 5

   Dress the asparagus warm

   Lift the asparagus from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain briefly on a clean kitchen towel. Arrange the spears on a serving platter or divide among individual plates while they are still warm. Spoon the vinaigrette over the asparagus immediately. This is the step that matters most. Warm asparagus absorbs the dressing the way cold asparagus never will. The vinaigrette seeps into the surface and seasons the spears from outside in. If you let them cool first and then dress them, you'll have dressed asparagus. If you dress them warm, you'll have Spargelsalat. There's a difference.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Let the dressed asparagus sit at room temperature for at least ten minutes before serving. This resting time lets the flavors marry and the dressing settle into the spears. Scatter the chives and parsley over the top just before bringing it to the table. Serve at room temperature, never cold from the fridge. A cold Spargelsalat tastes muted and dull. At room temperature, every flavor opens up. A good piece of bread on the side, a Semmel or a slice of dark Bauernbrot, and you have one of the most satisfying things spring can put on your plate. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Buy your white asparagus from a market or a good greengrocer, not pre-packaged from a supermarket shelf. Fresh spears should squeak when you rub them together and the cut ends should look moist, not dried out and woody. If the tips are starting to open or turn brown, the asparagus is past its best. Walk away.
• •The thickness of the spears matters less than their freshness, but thicker spears are easier to peel cleanly and hold up better in a salad. Pencil-thin white asparagus is fiddly to work with and overcooks in a blink.
• •Hesperidenessig is a citrus-infused vinegar from Vienna that Gretel kept in her kitchen for decades. If you can't find it, a good quality white wine vinegar or a mild Apfelessig (apple cider vinegar) will work. What won't work is cheap, harsh distilled vinegar. The vinegar does real work in this dressing and you'll taste every shortcut.
• •This salad is best eaten the day it's made, but it will hold in the fridge overnight. Bring it back to room temperature for at least thirty minutes before serving. Cold asparagus salad is a waste of good Spargel.

Advance Preparation

• •The asparagus can be peeled up to four hours ahead, wrapped in a damp towel and refrigerated. Don't peel them the night before. They dry out.
• •The vinaigrette can be whisked together and held at room temperature for up to an hour. Give it another whisk before dressing, as it will separate slightly.
• •The whole salad can be made two hours ahead and left at room temperature, loosely covered. This actually improves it, giving the dressing time to work its way into the spears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)