Tag: asparagus

Comme chez Soi

20 August 2026

June 19th, 1926. Georges Cuvelier opens Chez Georges, a small neighbourhood restaurant in Brussels. One of the regulars told the chef: “Georges, chez vous, on mange comme chez soi” (meaning “Georges, in your restaurant one eats like at home”) which was meant as a compliment. The comment triggered a name change.

Georges Cuveliers daughter Simone married Louis Wijnants. Together they owned and managed the restaurant, now called Comme chez Soi. They focused on Belgian cuisine, local ingredients and quality. In 1966 their son Pierre Wijnants took over. He would become one of the finest and most celebrated chefs of Belgium. In 1979 the restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars.

Today the restaurant is owned by Laurence Wynants and Lionel Rigolet. It has one Michelin star.

A five course menu at Comme chez Soi will cost you 195 euro (225 US dollar) and with wine selection 270 euro (315 US dollar) per person. This summer the restaurant serves courses like cod fillet, candied ginger, parsley coulis, kohlrabi, Ndongo Bella Congo pepper and peach, nectarine, apricot, shortbread and a light lemon thyme mousse with verbena espuma.

Dining at Comme chez Soi is a bit above our budget, so we very happy to buy Fijnproeven in België, a book that celebrates the cuisine of Belgium. It’s written by Pierre Wijnants and Lionel Rigolet with beautiful photo’s by Tony Le Duc. It features wonderful dishes such as jelly of salmon, tea, lemon and tarragon and soup with cream, eel and hop shoots plus traditional Belgium dishes such as mashed potatoes with onions.

We decided to prepare frog legs with morels, fava beans, green asparagus, chervil, cream and lemon. We replaced the frog legs with organic chicken thighs because the frog population is in decline and frog farms are the worst ever.

The combination was very tasty and surprisingly light, with various textures and a rich sauce. 

The suggestion is to pair the dish with a glass of bourgogne, more specifically a glass of Clos du Cellier aux Moines, Givry Premier Cru, a red wine made with 100% pinot noir grapes from the Côte Chalonnaise in France. We served the dish with a pinot noir made by La Cour Des Dames. In general you’re looking for a red, medium bodied wine with aromas of berries and floral notes. The tannins should be soft or well-integrated. 

PS

The book includes quotes from guests including one that reads “Pourqoi est-ce meilleur que chez moi?” meaning “Why is it better than at my place?”

Chicken, Asparagus, Morels and Fava Beans ©cadwu based on a recipe from Comme chez Soi
Comme chez Soi with recipes from Pierre Wijnants and Lionel Rigolet

Asparagus Salad with Basil and Olives

24 June 2026

We wanted to celebrate the end of the Dutch season for white asparagus with something special, perhaps grilled asparagus with Parmesan cheese or asparagus with miso. Normally the season ends on June 24th, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. This year the season started very early (March 7th) and probably ended early, so we were too late. No final dish with white asparagus this year!

We decided to prepare a very tasty salad with green asparagus, oregano, basil and black olives. A very limited list of ingredients, but there is no need to add anything else. The olives bring umami, the asparagus sweetness and bitterness, the basil and oregano are aromatic, sweet and a touch peppery. A very uplifting combination.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of Verdicchio, a dry white wine made by Tenuta Colpaola in Italy. The wine has a very nice balance of fruit (green apples) and acidity, body and freshness. The wine has a beautiful, deep yellow colour, medium body and complexity, making it ideal with the various flavours of the dish.
In general we suggest a dry white wine with sufficient acidity and character, to balance both the asparagus and the olives.
You could also serve the salad with a glass of dry, crisp, floral and flavourful rosé, for instance Monte del Frà Bardolino Chiaretto. It has delicate aromas of berries accompanied by light and refreshing hints of green apples and subtle spicy tones. The refreshing acidity works very well with the salad as a whole.

What You Need
  • 350 grams of Green Asparagus
  • 10-15 Black Olives (Taggiasca preffered, pitted)
  • 1 generous teaspoon of Dried Oregano
  • Basil
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 190 °C or 375 °F
  2. Wash the asparagus and dry
  3. Remove the bottom of the asparagus. Be generous, you don’t want to serve a chewy salad
  4. Halve the olives
  5. Slice the asparagus (chunky)
  6. Add asparagus, dried oregago and olives to a (cast iron) oven dish
  7. Add olive oil, be generous!, and combine
  8. Transfer to the oven
  9. After 10 minutes mix
  10. Leave in the oven for another 10 minutes
  11. Transfer to the kitchen top and let cool
  12. Leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve
  13. Just before serving add lots of basil
  14. Add black pepper to taste
Salad with Green Asparagus ©cadwu and black olives, oregano and excellent olive oil
Salad with Green Asparagus ©cadwu

Asparagus à la Carbonara

16 April 2026

We love white asparagus and traditionally we make classic white asparagus at the start of the season. We have prepared a range of dishes with asparagus and are always keen to try something new. Recently we saw a recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus. Wrong idea. Spaghetti Carbonara is an iconic Italian dish, made with spaghetti, guanciale, eggs, Parmesan cheese and/or Pecorino and black pepper. No reason to change or add anything. The picture showed penne, asparagus, basil and a creamy, rich sauce. Well, we must admit, it did look tempting. What if we would skip the penne and basil? That combination is not too dissimilar to the classic one. Knowing how tasty the combination of grilled asparagus and Parmesan cheese is, what’s stopping us? Let’s give it a try!

Before you dash of to your kitchen: the recipe comes with a challenge. The starch of the spaghetti helps thicken the sauce of Spaghetti Carbonara. There is no starch in this combination. Even more challenging, the asparagus are moist which will make the sauce thinner. When you’ve added the egg mixture to the pan, you will have to increase the heat to thicken the sauce. Too quickly or not enough stirring and your sauce will become an omelette. Be careful!

Wine Pairing

A Pinot Gris form Northern Italy will go very well with this dish. In general, a white wine with aromas of for instance lemon, green apple or pear. Some refreshing acidity is perfect with the rich sauce. The wine should be light to medium bodied.

What You Need
  • 500 grams of (white) Asparagus
  • 100 grams of Pancetta
  • 2 Organic Eggs
  • Parmesan Cheese or Pecorino
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Peel the asparagus
  2. Steam the asparagus for 10 minutes, depending on the size. The asparagus should remain crunchy 
  3. Cut the asparagus in 4 or 5 pieces
  4. Cut of the rind of the pancetta (if any)
  5. Dice the meat. Small cubes are best, the salty meat should become a condiment
  6. Warm a pan to medium heat
  7. Fry the pancetta
  8. Whisk the eggs, add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, add some black pepper and whisk again
  9. Reduce the heat to minimum
  10. Add the asparagus to the pan
  11. Combine and make sure the asparagus are nicely coated with the fat and juices from the meat.
  12. Now it’s time to create the creamy sauce!
  13. Check if the pan is not too hot. If so, better wait a minute
  14. Add the egg mixture and combine
  15. Now for the difficult part: carefully increase (!) the heat while moving the asparagus, the pancetta and the sauce, keep moving, add more grated cheese, it helps thicken the sauce, taste, keep moving, and do so until the sauce has the right consistency. This may take a few minutes.
  16. Serve immediately on a warm plate
PS
  • We decided to use pancetta instead of guanciale because pancetta has a milder taste, which combines better with the bitterness of the asparagus.
  • We haven’t prepared the dish with Green Asparagus. Anyone willing to give it a try?
Asparagus à la Carbonara ©cadwu with pancetta and a very cream sauce, made with eggs and parmesan cheese.
Asparagus à la Carbonara ©cadwu

Asparagus with Beurre Blanc

12 June 2025

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
Asparagus with Beurre Blanc
Asparagus with Beurre Blanc ©cadwu

Asparagus Salad with Basil and Olives

22 May 2025

Over the years we posted a range of recipes with asparagus, such as classic asparagus with ham and eggs, Mediterranean grilled asparagus with Parmesan cheese or Asian asparagus with miso. During one of the first warm evenings of this year we prepared a very tasty, simple salad with green asparagus, basil and black olives. A very limited list of ingredients, but there is no need to add anything else. The olives bring umami, the asparagus sweetness and bitterness, the basil is aromatic, sweet and a touch peppery. A very uplifting combination.

Wine Pairing

Best to enjoy with a nice glass of Rosé: dry, crisp, floral and flavourful. For instance Monte del Frà Bardolino Chiaretto. It’s a wine with delicate scents of berries accompanied by light and refreshing hints of green apples and subtle spicy tones. On the palate the wine reveals juicy sensations of red berries along with an appealing and refreshing acidity.

What You Need
  • Green Asparagus
  • Black Olives
  • Basil
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Wash the asparagus and dry
  2. Remove the bottom of the asparagus. Be generous, you don’t want to serve a chewy salad
  3. Heat a heavy iron pan, add olive oil
  4. Slice the asparagus and transfer to the pan. Don’t add the tips
  5. Stir.
  6. After 5 minutes add the tips
  7. After another 5 minutes the asparagus will be ready. Taste and leave on medium heat if you feel they need more time
  8. Let cool
  9. Halve the olives
  10. Combine the asparagus with olives, basil and black pepper
Asparagus Salad ©cadwu
Asparagus Salad ©cadwu

Miso Sauce and Asparagus

4 July 2024

Miso is made by combining soybeans, salt and koji, a fungus that is cultivated on rice. The fermentation process may take months. Additional ingredients include (brown) rice, barley or wheat. Originally from Japan, it is now used in many other countries. In general miso is intense, salty and deep. Expect lots of umami!
In this recipe we use white miso, because of its mildness, its delicacy and because it has some sweetness. Ideal for a sauce, marinade or dressing. Red miso combines well with oily fish and hearty vegetables.
More information about miso, the manufacturing process and how to use it (including recipes by chef Nobu Matsuhisa) on the website of Hikari Miso.
When buying miso we suggest to focus on organic miso and if possible a miso with less salt. Normally miso contains 12% salt.
A starter with miso and asparagus was not on our radar until we saw the menu of Restaurant Twenty Six in Amsterdam. One of their dishes combines white asparagus with miso, wild garlic, hazelnuts and yuzu. We planned to enjoy the very last white asparagus of the season in a classic way, but why not end the season with something completely new? Unfortunately, the season for wild garlic finished a few weeks ago, so we replaced this flavourful component with chives.

Wine Pairing

A Pinot Grigio will be perfect with this dish. Light, crisp, citrus and apple. We opened a bottle of Pinot grigio produced by Zenato. An affordable wine that combined very well with both the asparagus and the sauce.

What You Need
  • White Asparagus
  • Crushed Hazelnuts
  • Chives
  • For the Sauce
    • White Miso
    • Yuzu
    • Mirin
    • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tsuyu)
    • (optional) Rice Vinegar
    • (optional) Water
    • Potato Starch
What You Do

Clean and peel the asparagus. Steam them for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size. We use our Russel and Hobbs food steamer. An essential kitchen aid for only 50 euro or US dollar. Combine 2 teaspoons of white miso with a tablespoon of mirin, a tablespoon of tsuyu and a teaspoon of Yuzu. Gently warm the sauce and thicken with some potato starch until it is silky. Now it’s a matter of tasting and adjusting. Probably add more tsuyu; perhaps add some water and/or rice vinegar. Also taste the combination with the asparagus before serving. The asparagus make the sauce milder. Serve the asparagus with the sauce. Add crushed hazelnuts. Add chopped chives.

Miso Sauce and Asparagus ©cadwu
Miso Sauce and Asparagus ©cadwu

Salad with Truffle and Asparagus

27 June 2024

Sometimes a dish is all about seasonal products, for instance the combination of white asparagus, morels and wild garlic. Sometimes it’s about a winning combination, for instance truffle and potato, or truffle and egg. This dish has a bit of both aspects because this year the end of the Dutch white asparagus season coincides with the beginning of the summer truffle season. And since both combine very well with egg, why not make an extravagant salad?

Wine Pairing

The salad has a velvety, rich mouthfeel. You will taste subtle truffle, some bitterness and sweetness of the asparagus and a hint of acidity thanks to the mayonnaise. The salad will combine very well with a Chardonnay with subtle oak. We enjoyed our salad with a glass of Mâcon-Bussières, produced by Thierry Drouin. The white wine is made from 100% chardonnay grapes and comes with a touch of oak, aromas of apple and citrus and a rich flavour with hints of toast and butter. An excellent wine and a perfect accompaniment of the salad.

What You Need
  • 3 Eggs
  • 12 Asparagus (tips only)
  • (home-made) Mayonnaise
  • 30 grams of Summer Truffle
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons of Excellent White Truffle Oil
  • White Pepper
What You Do

Cook or steam the eggs until slightly runny. We steamed the eggs for 9 minutes. Peel and leave to cool. Steam the tips of the asparagus for 9 minutes. No need to peel them. Leave to cool. Mix two tablespoons of mayonnaise with one or two teaspoons of truffle oil. Roughly chop the eggs and crunch the truffle. Gently combine the asparagus tips, the truffle, the eggs and some white pepper with the mayonnaise. Transfer to the refrigerator for one or two hours.

Salad with Truffle and Asparagus ©cadwu
Salad with Truffle and Asparagus ©cadwu

End of the Asparagus Season

20 June 2024

Only a few days left before the end of the asparagus season on June 24th! So dash off to your greengrocer and buy some lovely asparagus, white, green, purple, it’s all fine and great, as long as they are locally farmed and fresh.

Last year our favorite way to prepare them was with scrambled eggs and shrimps. A delicious combination. This year our favorite was with Truffle Butter and Egg. A combination that very much relies on the quality of the truffle butter. Other favorites this year were steamed asparagus with kimizu (the beautiful, light, golden Japanese sauce made with egg yolks and rice vinegar), à la Flamande (mimosa of egg, butter, parsley and nutmeg), as a salad and of course as a Charlotte.

Truffle Butter

Products with truffle (oil, tapenade, purée) can be very disappointing. The vast majority is based on oil that has been artificially flavoured using a synthetic agent such as 2,4-dithiapentane. Not a truffle in sight. In case of truffle purée or tapenade the mixture is often dominated by (button) mushrooms, dried cèpes, salt, garlic and again, synthetical flavored oil.
In this recipe we use white truffle oil. The two main white truffles are Bianchetti (Tuber Borchii Vitt) and Alba (Tuber Magnatum Pico). Bianchetti is a powerful and remarkable truffle (we use it in combination with oysters) but it is not as expensive and special as an Alba truffle. A Bianchetti truffle will cost you 10 euro per 10 grams whereas an Alba truffle will be priced at 70 euro per 10 grams. When buying a truffle product, make sure you read the label and check which truffle is used.

Asparagus with Truffle Butter ©cadwu

A dear friend gave us a jar of white truffle butter and a small bottle of white truffle oil, both produced by Il Mondo Del Tartufo. The butter was fantastic and so was the oil. Both are made with Alba truffle. Later we combined normal butter with truffle oil (and perhaps a pinch of salt) to recreate the truffle butter.

Wine Pairing

The obvious choice is a glass of Pinot Blanc, although we actually prefer a dry Muscat in combination with a classic preparation such as à la Flamande. Depending on the dish it could also be a Verdicchio, an Albariño or perhaps even a Portuguese Vinho Verde.
We combined our Asparagus with Truffle Butter with a Dutch wine, produced by Hoeve Nekum. The winery was founded in 1988 but the history of the actual farm (hoeve in Dutch) goes back to the 14th century. We enjoyed their Rivaner, a white wine with a light color, a floral aroma and a fresh delicate taste with some acidity. The combination with the rich, buttery slightly bitter asparagus was excellent. In general you’re looking for a fresh, gentle wine, not too complex and one that you would also enjoy as an aperitif.

What You Need
  • 14 White Asparagus
  • 1 Egg
  • some Butter
  • White Truffle Oil
  • White Pepper
What You Do

We use our Russel and Hobbs food steamer to prepare the asparagus. An essential kitchen aid for only 50 euro or US dollar. 
Towards the end of the season the asparagus can be fairly thin, hence the 14. Clean and peel the asparagus. Put butter in a cup. Start by steaming the egg. After 2 minutes add the asparagus. 3 Minutes later turn the egg upside down and place the cup in the steamer basket. Another 5 minutes later everything is ready. Peel the egg and mash with a fork, creating a ‘mimosa’ of egg. Add two or three teaspoons of truffle oil (depending on your taste and the quantity of butter) to the butter and mix. Add some white pepper to the mimosa. Spoon the butter over of the asparagus and decorate with mimosa.
PS If you make this dish earlier in the season, then steam the asparagus for 20 minutes, the egg for 5+5 minutes and the butter for 5 minutes.

Asparagus 2024 ©cadwu
Asparagus 2024 ©cadwu

Asparagus with Chervil

6 June 2024

One of the classic ways of serving asparagus is à la Flamande (Op Vlaamse wijze) with melted butter, boiled eggs, parsley and nutmeg. The mixture of melted butter and egg is like a sauce, delicious with the asparagus. In this case we add lots of chopped chervil to the mixture of melted butter and eggs, making it a light combination of bitter, crunchy and sweet (the asparagus) and velvety, anise-flavoured and savory (the mixture).

Wine Pairing

Serve the asparagus with a dry, white wine, for instance a glass of Silvaner produced by the German Winery Thörle. The wine comes with freshness, some acidity, minerality and fruit (pear, green apples). Excellent with our asparagus. A dry muscat will also be perfect.
We decided to take a different approach and balance the lightness in the dish with a Portuguese white wine, made from chardonnay grapes and aged for 4 months in oak barrels. It is produced by Casa Ermelinda, a winery some 20 kilometers south of Lisbon in the Setúbal region with over 550 hectares of vineyards and 29 different grape varieties. The barrel aged chardonnay is Intense and comes with a complex bouquet of exotic fruits. The wine is balanced, fresh, elegant and long..

What You Need

  • 4 Asparagus per person
  • 2 Eggs
  • Chervil
  • Butter
  • White Pepper

What You Do

We use our Russel and Hobbs food steamer to prepare the asparagus. An essential kitchen aid for only 50 euro or US dollar. 
Clean and peel the asparagus. Put butter in a cup. Steam them for 10+5+5 minutes. After 10 minutes add the eggs to the steamer basket. After 5 minutes, turn the eggs upside down and place the cup in the steamer basket. Another 5 minutes later everything is ready. Chop the chervil. Peel the egg and mash with a fork, creating a ‘mimosa’ of egg. Combine mimosa and chervil. Add some white pepper. Add the butter to the mixture and combine. Spoon the egg mixture on top of the asparagus.

Asparagus a la Flamande ©cadwu
Asparagus with Chervil ©cadwu

Charlotte Aux Asperges

9 May 2024

May is our peak season for white asparagus: great quality and reasonable prices. Which is very helpful because for this relatively small Charlotte you need lots of very tasty asparagus. Our Charlotte has a 16-centimetre diameter, and it requires 18 asparagus. The Charlotte has four components: the bottom made from potatoes and seasoned with nutmeg, the filling made from an asparagus mousse with ham, the side, made from halved asparagus tips and the decoration. The combination of fried potatoes, asparagus (soft in the mousse and with a gentle crunch in the tips) and egg is delicious. 

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of Pinot Blanc from the German Mosel region made by Dr. Loosen. The wine is dry and fresh with some acidity and minerality. Notes of pear, apple and citrus. It worked very well with the Charlotte. In general you’re looking for a subtle white wine, given the delicate flavors of the Charlotte.

What You Need
  • For the Filling
    • 50 grams Cream
    • 50 grams Ham
    • 13 grams of Gelatine
    • 18 asparagus
  • For the Bottom
    • 1 large Potato
    • Nutmeg
    • Butter
    • Salt
  • For the Decoration
    • Two eggs
    • Parsley
    • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. The recipe is for a springform with a diameter of 16 cm
  2. The bottom of the Charlotte is a Paillasson de Pomme de Terre. See our post about Alain Passard
  3. Peel and grate the potato
  4. Add salt and nutmeg
  5. Bake in a heavy iron skillet with lots of butter for 15+10 minutes until golden
  6. From time to time you may need to add extra butter. Do this by slipping small dots of butter down the sides of the pan
  7. In parallel peel the asparagus and cut of the tips
  8. Steam the tips for 10 minutes
  9. Steam the eggs for 12 minutes
  10. Allow the tips to cool
  11. Peel the eggs and set aside
  12. Quarter the remainder of the asparagus and cook in water for at least 20 minutes or until very well done
  13. Blender the asparagus chunks with some of the cooking liquid until very smooth. You will need approximately 400 grams of this mixture
  14. Use the back of a spoon to pass the asparagus mixture through a sieve
  15. Transfer the potato to the bottom of the springform
  16. Coat the side of the form with neutral oil
  17. Halve the tips and add these to the form, with the cut to the outside. See picture
  18. Follow the instructions of the gelatine
  19. Whip the cream until thick
  20. Finely chop the ham
  21. Heat some of the asparagus liquid, when warm, add the gelatine
  22. Now it’s time to combine cream, ham and asparagus mixture
  23. Cool the mixture and add gently to the springform
  24. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours
  25. Just before serving make mimosa of egg with parsley and black pepper.
Slice of Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu
Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu
Bottom and Side of Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu