White asparagus in Spain is a delicacy. The season starts now, in April, and ends in June. We have now a few months ahead to try this delicious vegetable. A few years ago it was more difficult to find them in England but now, you can see them in markets and deli shops. They come from China, Peru and Spain. Of course, I recommend you the Spanish ones but, if you never tried them before, give them a go and try them!
The best ones in Spain are certificated as Specific Designation of Origin “Espárrago de Navarra” which included the area in the North of Spain with Aragón, Navarra y La Rioja. The farmers follow the quality requirements laid down by the regulator. These asparaguses are whiter, with a soft texture and a delicate taste.
The first thing you need to know is they cook a bit different from the green ones. You can fry, steam or grill them but need to be peel first to remove the first layer of harder fibre.
If you decide to boil them first, here you have a guide on how to do it and some recipes at the end of the post that can give you some ideas for a meal. ¡Buen provecho!
How to boil white asparagus
1.- Wash thoroughly the asparagus to remove any dirt and soil.
2.- With a peeler, peel the asparagus and cut the end (roughly 4 centimetres).
3.- Tie the asparagus in a brunch.
4.- In a deep pot, pour 2 litres of water, a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar and put in high heat until bring to boil.
5.- When the water starts to boil put the brunch of white asparagus and turn the heat until medium level.
6.- Put the asparagus into the deep pan but be aware that the water doesn’t have to cover the tips. Boil the asparagus for 10-15 minutes or until they are tender.
7.- Remove the deep pot from the heat and flip the asparagus to cook the tips for a couple of minutes.
8.- Drain them and let them cool down.
To dress the asparagus you just can season with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar or, with a vinaigrette. Or make a dish of them with these recipes:
¡Buen provecho!
[…] The first step is cooking the white asparagus. You have here the […]