White gold as it should be: gently boiled asparagus with bone-in ham, hard-boiled egg, melted butter and baby potatoes. From the second Thursday of April until St John’s Day (24 June), this plate is on the table all over South Limburg; it can’t get simpler, or better.
Asparagus, Limburg style
Region: Limburg
Asparagus, Limburg style
Region: Limburg
Method
01
Peel the asparagus
Peel the asparagus generously from head to foot with a vegetable peeler and cut off the woody bottom (approx. 2 cm). Don't throw anything away: the peelings and ends are the base for the Romige aspergesoep (creamy asparagus soup) on this site.
02
Eggs and potatoes
Boil the eggs hard in 9–10 minutes, shock in cold water and peel them. Boil the potatoes until tender in salted water.
03
Cook the asparagus
Bring a large pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt, the sugar and a knob of the butter. Add the asparagus, boil gently for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Leave the asparagus with the lid on the pan for another 10–15 minutes in the hot liquid, until soft but not limp (the tip of a knife slides in without resistance).
04
Melt the butter
Meanwhile, gently melt the rest of the butter; let it turn light golden but not brown.
05
Serve
Leave the asparagus to drain briefly on a clean tea towel. Divide it between warmed plates. Lay the slices of ham alongside, the quartered or roughly chopped egg over the top and pour melted butter generously over everything. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the potatoes.
Tips & notes
It doesn't get more classic than melted butter, but a hollandaise is allowed too. A glass of dry white wine goes with it; a Limburg Auxerrois or Pinot gris from local soil completes the celebration. Asparagus is best freshly cooked; keep leftovers in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day.
Variations
- Add a spoonful of homemade hollandaise alongside the melted butter for a more refined version.
- Replace the ham with smoked salmon for a lighter, modern interpretation.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
| Calories | 656 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g |
| Fat | 47 g |
| Fibre | 14 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
