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Spargel mit Sauce Hollandaise

Name: Spargel mit Sauce Hollandaise
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 800 g white asparagus, peeled; 400 g new potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large; 2 litres water; 12 g fine salt; 8 g sugar; 15 g unsalted butter; 2 slices lemon slices; 3 egg yolks; 150 g unsalted butter, melted warm; 15 ml lemon juice; 15 ml water; 2 g fine salt; 0.5 g white pepper; 120 g cooked ham; 5 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Tender white asparagus is gently poached until sweet and silky, then served with buttery potatoes, delicate slices of ham, and a glossy lemony hollandaise. The result is elegant, rich, and unmistakably tied to the German spring table.

30 min

2 servings

823 kcal

German

Ingredients

Asparagus and potatoes

800 gwhite asparagus, peeled
400 gnew potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large
2 litreswater
12 gfine salt
8 gsugar
15 gunsalted butter
2 sliceslemon slices

Sauce Hollandaise

3egg yolks
150 gunsalted butter, melted warm
15 mllemon juice
15 mlwater
2 gfine salt
0.5 gwhite pepper

Ham and finish

120 gcooked ham
5 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1
Put the new potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Salt the water lightly, then simmer for 14-16 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and keep warm.
2
While the potatoes cook, trim the woody ends from the peeled white asparagus. In a wide pan, bring 2 litres water to a gentle simmer with the fine salt, sugar, 15 g butter, and lemon slices. The sugar balances bitterness and the lemon helps keep the asparagus bright.
3
Lay the asparagus in the simmering liquid and cook gently for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness, until fully tender but not falling apart. A knife should slide into the thickest part with almost no resistance. Lift out carefully and keep warm.
4
For the hollandaise, whisk the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, fine salt, and white pepper in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over barely simmering water and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened and foamy; do not let the bowl get too hot or the yolks may scramble.
5
Remove the bowl from the heat and slowly drizzle in the warm melted butter while whisking continuously to form a glossy emulsion. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water. Taste and adjust with a few extra drops of lemon if needed. Keep warm, not hot.
6
Briefly warm the cooked ham for 30-60 seconds in the residual heat from the asparagus pan or by laying it over the warm potatoes; do not boil it or it will tighten and lose flavour.
7
Arrange the asparagus on warm plates with the potatoes and folded slices of ham. Spoon over the hollandaise, scatter with parsley, and serve immediately while the sauce is silky and the asparagus hot.

Nutrition per serving

823 kcal

Calories

24g

Protein

34g

Carbs

66g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Use thick white asparagus spears for the best texture; thin spears overcook quickly and are harder to peel evenly.
•Keep the hollandaise between warm and lukewarm. If it overheats, it can split; if it cools too much, it will thicken excessively.
•To save time and stay within 30 minutes, buy asparagus already peeled if available.
•Traditionally, this dish is excellent with a dry Silvaner or Riesling and extra melted butter at the table.

Background

Spargel mit Sauce Hollandaise is a classic of the German spring asparagus season, especially beloved when white asparagus appears fresh in markets from April to June. In many regions of Germany, Spargel is treated almost ceremonially and is commonly served with potatoes, ham, and rich butter or hollandaise. The dish reflects the strong seasonal food culture around German Spargelzeit.

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