White Asparagus with Hazelnut Butter
Why this recipe works
- Gentle cooking: Boiling the peeled white asparagus at a gentle pace keeps the spears intact while allowing the centres to become tender.
- Nutty depth: Browned butter and toasted hazelnuts echo each other, giving the simple vegetable base a fuller, richer finish.
- Bright finish: Lemon juice cuts through the butter’s richness and keeps the dish from feeling heavy.
Get the most out of this recipe
Ingredient notes
- Choose even spears: White asparagus cooks most evenly when the spears are a similar thickness.
- Peel thoroughly: Peeling from just below the tips removes the fibrous outer layer that can make white asparagus tough.
- Use fresh lemon: Fresh lemon juice gives the butter a cleaner, brighter lift than bottled juice.
Timing notes
- Serve straight away: The dish is at its best when the asparagus is warm and the hazelnut butter is freshly spooned over the top.
- Peeling takes a little time: Most of the active work is preparing the asparagus; once peeled, the cooking is quick and straightforward.
Common mistakes
- Do not overbrown the butter: Take the butter off the heat once it smells nutty and turns golden; dark brown butter can taste bitter here.
- Avoid limp asparagus: Cook only until a knife tip slides in with slight resistance so the spears stay delicate rather than waterlogged.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season it with 1 1/2 tsp of the fine sea salt. Meanwhile, peel the white asparagus from just below the tips downwards, then trim off any woody ends.
- Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook at a gentle boil for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Lift out with tongs and drain briefly in a colander.
- While the asparagus cooks, roughly chop the hazelnuts. Toast them in a dry saucepan over a medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly coloured, then tip onto a plate.
- Wipe out the saucepan, then add the unsalted butter and cook over a medium heat until it foams, then turns golden with a nutty aroma. Take off the heat and stir in the toasted hazelnuts, then squeeze in the lemon juice to taste.
- Arrange the asparagus on a serving dish and spoon over the hazelnut butter. Finish with the remaining fine sea salt and the black pepper, then serve straight away.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Keep the boil gentle so the asparagus stays intact; it is ready when a knife tip slides in with slight resistance.
- Brown the butter until it smells nutty and looks golden, but pull it off the heat before it turns dark brown.
- If serving later, keep the asparagus warm and covered, and rewarm the hazelnut butter gently so it does not split.
Substitutions
- Replace Hazelnuts with Almonds for a slightly sweeter, milder nut flavour.
- Replace Lemon with Lime for a sharper, more aromatic citrus finish.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 2 days
- Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat the asparagus in a saucepan with a splash of water over a low heat until piping hot, and warm the hazelnut butter gently in a saucepan without boiling.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 40min (25min active)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: German
-
Allergens:
Hazelnuts Milk Tree nuts
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