White asparagus with lemon confit and beurre blanc

5 lemons

water

for blanching

30 g preserving sugar

1 tbsp runny honey

¾ tsp salt

Some pepperoncino

finely chopped

125 ml rapeseed oil

100 g tarragon

coarsely chopped

200 g butter

500 g white asparagus

peeled

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Some butter

for sautéing

3 shallots

finely chopped

10 g ginger

finely chopped

Some pepperoncino

finely chopped

60 ml white Vermouth (e.g. Noilly Prat)

60 ml white port wine

50 ml white wine

650 ml vegetable bouillon

300 g white asparagus

cut into pieces

220 g butter

cut into pieces

1 lemon

some juice

Some salt

Some pepper

40 g almonds

coarsely chopped, roasted

1 lemon

2 sprigs of tarragon

leaves plucked

Zest the lemons with a vegetable peeler. Bring the water to the boil in a pan, blanch the lemon zest for about 30 seconds, then drain the water. Repeat this process with fresh water. Cut the blanched zest into small squares. Segment half the lemons and cut the segments into cubes. Juice the rest of the lemons. Put the preserving sugar in a pan and lightly caramelize over a medium heat without stirring. Add the lemon zest, the segments and the juice together with the salt, honey and pepperoncino, bring to the boil over a low heat and simmer until the mixture thickens to the consistency of jam. Leave the confit to cool.

Pour the oil into a pan, heat up to about 70 °C, transfer to a jug blender and blend with the tarragon on a high setting for about 5 minutes. Strain the oil through a sieve lined with muslin, leave to cool until the oil and water separate, then carefully pour off the oil into a bottle.

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Simmer until the butter foams, smells nutty and turns a light brown colour, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Preheat the cooking space to 95 °C using the steam mode. Put the asparagus, sugar and salt with the cooled butter into a vacuum bag and vacuum seal. Put the vacuum bag on a wire shelf in the preheated cooking space and cook for about 15 minutes. Take out and keep warm in the vacuum bag until ready to serve.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the shallots, ginger and pepperoncino and sweat until lightly browned. Then add the asparagus and sweat. Pour in the Vermouth, port wine and white wine and to reduce a little. Pour in the vegetable bouillon, bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat to reduce by about half. Briefly blend with a blender, then strain through a fine sieve. Blend in the butter until the mixture is homogeneous, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Swoosh some lemon confit on the plates some lemon confit on the plates and sprinkle the chopped almonds over the top. Place the asparagus on top, grate over some lemon zest and garnish with the tarragon leaves. Pour the beurre blanc around the asparagus, garnish with a few drops of tarragon oil.

(Pre-)heat cooking space to 95 °C with Steaming

Preheating finished. Put the food in.

Steaming 95 °C for 15 Mins