Cook and Drink

Nearly the end of the asparagus season in the Netherlands so we wanted to make a very special dish. One that combines the sweetness and the bitterness of the asparagus with freshness, the structure of the al dente asparagus with a velvety, rich mouthfeel. What better sauce to make than Beurre Blanc: a remarkable light French butter sauce.

The starting point of a Beurre Blanc is similar to that of Hollandaise and Béarnaise: a reduction made with shallot, vinegar, tarragon, black pepper and white wine. Inspired by Dutch chef Erik van Loo we added some Noilly Prat to the castric.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our Asparagus with a glass of white Rioja. The wine is made by Vivanco with three Spanish grapes: Viura, Tempranillo Blanco (a grape discovered in 1988) and Maturana Blanca (a local grape that goes back to 1622). The result is a bright, intense white wine with aromas of citrus fruit and green apples. Fresh, tasty and a great match with the flavours of the asparagus and Beurre Blanc.
In general, we suggest a non-oaked, fresh, dry white wine, with clear acidity. 

What You Need

• For the Castric (25 ml)
  • 5 ml White Vinegar
  • 50 ml dry White Wine
  • 20 ml Noilly Prat
  • One coarsely crushed corn of Black Pepper
• For the Beurre Blanc
  • 25 ml Castric
  • 60 grams of cold Butter
• 6 Asparagus

What You Do

1. Start by making the Castric
2. Chop the shallot
3. Combine all ingredients and leave to reduce by 2/3 on low heat
4. Pass through a sieve; try to capture the juices of the shallot
5. Set aside
6. Peel the asparagus and remove one centimetre from the bottom
7. Steam for 15 – 20 minutes
8. Remove the asparagus from the steamer and allow to rest for 5 minutes
9. Make the Beurre Blanc
   • Warm the Castric
   • Dice the butter
   • Add the butter, one by one, to the Castric
   • Whisk (either by hand or by using a hand blender)
   • Make sure the butter has completely dissolved before you add the next dice of butter
   • Whisk and repeat
10. Serve the asparagus with the sauce on a luke warm plate