One of the things I most look forward to in springtime is asparagus! Unlike in the UK, where green asparagus are the norm, most people in Luxembourg prefer white asparagus. But did you know that they are in fact exactly the same plant?
An asparagus can turn green or white depending on how it is grown. When the spears pop out of the ground, they turn green, so in Luxembourg, farmers keep covering the asparagus with soil as they grow upwards, so that they stay white! White asparagus are more delicate in taste than their green siblings, and they need to be peeled, as the skin is quite tough and stringy.
At home, my mum would always dish up asparagus with a béchamel sauce – it’s a very popular springtime dish in Luxembourg, served with new potatoes. I thought about giving the whole thing a little twist, and am putting the asparagus and béchamel inside a lasagna! I’m adding some cooked ham too, but you can leave that out if you prefer a vegetarian version.
This recipe was created as part of my “Recipes for Staying Home” show, you can watch the episode here.
This is a recipe from my cookbook ‘Flavours of Home’.
