A new twist on a favorite Spring dish
A wonderful German restaurant I have visited has a wide variety of dishes that are mostly, in the traditional sense, meaty. One of the delicious exceptions is a dish that is often served with a smoked, dried ham, but can be ordered in a vegetarian version.
Spargelessen is a meal that features white asparagus and new potatoes. For a less expensive version, any sort of potato can be substituted.
The other day, my local grocer had a super sale on asparagus - more than 60 percent off the regular price and they had the choice of "regular" and white asparagus. Having never tried to cook the white variety, I took advantage of the sale and give the more unusual ones a try in the recipe I'd had at the restaurant.
The result was a delicious, crisp, tasty dish that looked beautiful on the plate. If you are cooking for someone who just has to have meat with their meal, add some ham to the dish, but if you leave the meat off the plate, it is certainly hearty enough to satisfy most appetites.
Spargelessen1 pound of fresh white asparagus, bottoms trimmed if necessary
1 large potato, prebaked and chopped into small chunks
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Put the first two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan, add the potatoes and fry until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan.
To the pan, add the asparagus, the rest of the olive oil, the water, and the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes uncovered, or until the water has almost evaporated. Toss the asparagus with tongs, cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove the lid and toss the asparagus again. Put the lid back on and repeat until the asparagus are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. The asparagus may brown slightly in spots, which adds to the pan-roasted flavor.
Return the potatoes to the pan.
Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Remove the garlic, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.
This is delicious garnished with Parmesan cheese.
1 large potato, prebaked and chopped into small chunks
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Put the first two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan, add the potatoes and fry until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan.
To the pan, add the asparagus, the rest of the olive oil, the water, and the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes uncovered, or until the water has almost evaporated. Toss the asparagus with tongs, cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove the lid and toss the asparagus again. Put the lid back on and repeat until the asparagus are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. The asparagus may brown slightly in spots, which adds to the pan-roasted flavor.
Return the potatoes to the pan.
Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Remove the garlic, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.
This is delicious garnished with Parmesan cheese.
