Spring is in the Air

Easter is Coming

When I think of Easter and take a little trip down memory lane, it always brings me back to the countless Easter brunches we used to prepare. From our family business in the Netherlands to my short time working as an assistant hotel manager at a Van der Valk hotel, Easter was always a time of big operations and even bigger buffets.

We served thousands of meals over the Easter weekend in this hotel. And while the quality was quite respectable, the large-scale nature of it all never quite fit with me. I longed for finesse, for detail. In our fine kitchen we worked with delicate ingredients like quail eggs, lamb dishes, and of course: asparagus.

Here in Greece, I have yet to find the white asparagus that I grew up with—but one day, they’ll make their way onto my menu. Green asparagus, on the other hand, are readily available, and I use them with passion: in salads, paired with lamb broth, or lightly spiced with curry.

In preparation for the biggest celebration of the year in Greece—Orthodox Easter—I’m diving back into my trusted archive of lamb recipes. In next week’s blog, I’ll share one of those with you. But this week, it’s all about asparagus. My favorite vegetable and an absolute must on my seasonal product list.

Just as mussels are best from Zeeland (Netherlands, south west), asparagus traditionally come from Limburg (Netherlands, south-east). But back in my younger years, when we ran our business in Twente (also part of the Netherlands, east), a group of local farmers started cultivating asparagus on Twentse soil. With years of preparation, they reached a quality that rivalled (or dare I say, surpassed) the famous white gold of Limburg.

They proudly founded the “Guild of Twentse Asparagus Growers”—a clever marketing move or not, it worked. From that moment on, Twentse asparagus became a sought-after, premium product. I’m not sure if the guild still exists, but drive through the Twente countryside in spring and you’ll find fields full of asparagus and charming roadside stands selling them—peeled or unpeeled, vacuum-packed, and often paired with local delicacies like ham and wine.

My personal favorite? Asparagus with homemade hollandaise sauce. You can pair it beautifully with ham, lamb, or salmon. Add a creamy, perfectly boiled potato and you have a dish that’s simple yet sophisticated.

Cooking Asparagus: Easier Than You Think

Choose high-quality asparagus labeled “AA+”—these are the thickest and best. Peel them well with a dedicated asparagus peeler and cut off the bottom 2 cm, as this part is usually bitter.

Place the asparagus in a large pot with plenty of salted water and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep them submerged. Bring the water to a boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Let the asparagus cool in the cooking water—they will cook through gently and perfectly.

If you’re using thinner asparagus, you might want to remove them from the hot water sooner to avoid overcooking. Test with a fork now and then to check for doneness. Once ready, transfer to cold water to stop the cooking process.

Don’t throw away the cooking water or the peels—you can make a delicious soup with those!

Recipe: Classic White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 kg white asparagus (AA+ quality)
4 slices of good-quality cooked ham or smoked salmon
600g firm boiling potatoes
Salt, pepper, sugar
1 lemon (for juice)

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks
200g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Prep:

Peel the asparagus and trim the ends. Boil them as described above.
Peel and boil the potatoes until tender. Season with a pinch of salt and a dab of butter.
For the sauce: melt the butter over low heat. In a bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie), whisk together egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until it thickens.
Slowly add the melted butter while continuously whisking until you get a smooth, creamy sauce.
Plate the asparagus with the ham or salmon, spoon over the hollandaise sauce, and serve with the warm potatoes.

A dish fit for Easter—and one I hope to share in Greece, once I find that perfect white spear.