White asparagus flan with lemon and tarragon gel

300 ml lemon juice

100 ml water

30 g sugar

7 g agar

10 sprigs of tarragon

2 tsp sunflower oil

2 shallots

finely chopped

300 g white asparagus

peeled, asparagus tips set aside, rest in approx. 1 cm pieces

1½ tbsp. aceto balsamico bianco

200 ml vegetable stock

200 ml cream

1 tsp cornflour

a little salt

a little white pepper

3 egg whites

60 g white asparagus

peeled, in small cubes

a little salt

a little aceto balsamico bianco

a little olive oil

a little salt

8 edible white flowers

Place the lemon juice, water, sugar and agar-agar in a pan, mix well, bring to the boil, stirring constantly, reduce the heat and simmer for approx. 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tarragon, cover and leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes. Pour the liquid through a fine sieve into a wide container and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Place the lemon and tarragon gel in a tall container, puree with a hand blender until smooth, pour into a piping bag and chill until ready to serve.

Heat the sunflower oil in a pan. Sauté the shallots over a medium heat until translucent. Add the asparagus pieces and sauté for approx. 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and boil down. Mix the vegetable stock, cream and cornflour, pour in and simmer over a low heat for approx. 20 minutes. Place the asparagus and liquid in a blender, puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Pass the purée through a fine sieve, leave to cool slightly, cover and leave to cool.

Preheat the cooking chamber to 85 °C with hot air and steam. Place the ramequin moulds on a perforated stainless steel tray. Divide the asparagus cubes into the moulds. Place the egg whites and the cooled asparagus puree in a tall container, puree with a hand blender and pour into the moulds. Carefully slide the tray into the preheated cooking chamber and cook for approx. 20 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

Hot air + steaming 85 °C for 20 Mins

Thinly slice the asparagus tips that were set aside and marinate in a small bowl with aceto, olive oil and salt. Arrange the marinated asparagus tips on the flans so that the flans are completely covered with asparagus. Drizzle approx. 7-9 dots of lemon-tarragon gel on each asparagus tip and garnish with the edible white flowers.