Sunday morning gold

Let it be said… I’m not a morning person:
Take me out on saturday night, and you’ll find no one on sunday morning, and if you do, it will be a wining grumpy lazy gourmande! My dutchie found that out the hard way and after trying to wake me up tenderly a couple of times before sunrise (he is a morning person…).
We’ve reached a silent understanding: he escapes the bedroom at dawn and minds his own business, while I sink deeper into the blankets. Much later, when the sun is already up into the sky, he brings me coffee and orange juice and some time fresh croissants he bought on his way back from his morning cycling tour and magically, the grumpiness fades away like a charm, leaving place to a perfect sunday.

But sunday mornings don’t always start out so perfect: Sometimes, the phone rings too early, some friends or family is calling to know if they could pass by, let say in a couple of hours… Of course I want to see them, it’s been so long and I’ve missed them… Yet, the house is a mess, I am a mess and I’ve got nothing ready for lunch.

Sleepwalking through the house, after both the shower and morning coffee failed to wake me up, I finally dare to open my eyes… And sometimes I am just lucky: a bunch of white gold is just there in front of me! Thanks so much Harry, for the freshly picked white asparagus from Limburg… And hop, a roll of puff pastry out of the freezer, a zest of lemon and vanilla, a pinch of almond: I’ll finally give a try at the white asparagus tart I’ve put together in my dreams. Sunday is perfect again and so will be lunch!

 

 

White gold in a tart: Tarte aux asperges blanches

White asparagus tart
Tarte aux asperges blanches

serves 4 to 6 pers.
prep: 15 min. cook: 25 min

Ingredients:
500 g white asparagus, peeled (reserve the peel),
1 slice of lemon,
300 g puff pastry (I used a ready made roll),
2 eggs,
20 cl whipping cream,
zest of a quarter of a lemon,
2 Tsp powdered almonds,
1/4 of a vanilla pod,
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven at 180 degC*.
In a large pan (ideally an asparagus pan) bring some water to a boil  with the asparagus peel, the slice of lemon and some sea salt. Blanch the asparagus for about 4 minutes. Then drain them well and leave them to cool in a clean cloth or in kitchen paper.
Line the dough in a 28 cm tart mold. If unlike me you have time on your hands you can blind bake the dough first for 10 min… But really, if you drain the asperges well you can skip the blind baking!
In a bowl, beat the eggs, incorporate the lemon zest, the vanilla seeds, the powdered almonds and finally mix in the whipping cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Line the asparagus in a flower shape on the puff pastry (you can slice in the length the thickest ones and cut out the ends that you’ll use to fill the void). Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus and bake for 20 to 25 min at 180 deg C* or until golden.
Serve warm, for lunch or as a starter with mixed greens, and a chilled glass of soft white wine.

Bon appétit!

* I use a hot air oven, if you don’t have a hot air function you might have to bake your tart for 5 to 10 minutes longer or raise the temperature to 190 deg C.