White Asparagus – The Classic Way
White Asparagus – The Classic Way. The ‘white gold of the earth’, we call it in the Netherlands – and what better dish to enjoy on Earth Day? Harvested in the morning and on our plate by evening, it doesn’t get much fresher than that. There are all sorts of ways to serve white asparagus, but this traditional version is my go-to every spring: tender spears paired with ham, egg, baby potatoes, fresh parsley and melted butter. So simple. So good.
Why This Classic White Asparagus Recipe Works
Last week I made a fancier take with puff pastry and smoked salmon (delish), but this one? This is the real deal. It’s the kind of dish that highlights the clean, delicate flavour of the asparagus without overpowering it. Just a few quality ingredients and a little care in the cooking – that’s all you need. Boil the asparagus gently until tender, let your butter melt slowly, and serve everything warm for that truly comforting, homestyle feel.
Serving Tips and Kitchen Notes
I always save the peelings and tough ends in a freezer bag – they make a flavour-packed asparagus broth for soup or risotto later on. Waste not, want not, especially when you’re working with something seasonal and special like this.
White Asparagus – The Classic Way is ideal as a light spring dinner, a starter for an Easter lunch, or even as part of a weekend brunch. And honestly, it never fails to impress – it’s just one of those dishes that feels a bit fancy without even trying.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✔️ Seasonal simplicity – Celebrates fresh, local white asparagus at its peak.
✔️ Traditional Dutch preparation – A classic for a reason.
✔️ No waste – Peelings and caps make a brilliant base for soup or risotto.
✔️ Elegant but easy – Impressive enough for guests, simple enough for any night.
✔️ Perfect for spring – Earth Day, Easter, or any sunny day that calls for something special.
White Asparagus - The Classic Way
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Loading...Learn how to prepare white asparagus the classic way. Enjoy fresh, tender spears paired with simple, quality ingredients.
Ingredients
- ± 750 g white asparagus
- ± 800 g baby potatoes, skin on
- 6 slices of grilled or boiled ham
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp (unsalted) butter
- Good handful of parsley
- Pepper & Salt
Instructions
Start by washing the potatoes and adding them to a pan of cold salted water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20-25 minute (counting from cold water till boiling). Check how far they are after 20 minutes and continue to cook, checking every 2 minutes or so until you're happy with the result.
In the meantime chop off ± 3 cm from the bottom of the asparagus and peel them with a vegetable peeler, make sure you get all the tough outer skin.
Tip: Keep the peelings and bottoms in a ziplock bag in the freezer to make a broth at a later stage if you want.
Bring a small pan of water the boil, when boiling, add in the eggs and boil for 7 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold water.
Rinse and dry the pan and add the butter, let melt on low heat.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil to cook the asparagus in. When the potatoes have been cooking for ± 15 minutes, add the asparagus to their pan, they need about 7-8 minutes to cook.
In the meantime chop the parsley.
When potatoes and asparagus done you can start plating: drape the slices of ham on the plate, add the potatoes, asparagus and eggs. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with the melted butter and season with pepper and salt.
