Pan-fried White Asparagus with Green Tahini Sauce

The usual preparation of white asparagus is usually simmered in water or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce or/and butter. Here we are going to try pan-frying them until beautifully charred and tender but still al dente. It tastes fabulous with a herby tahini sauce.
Unlike their green and purple counterparts, white asparagus are pale from end to tip because they are grown underground. White asparagus must always be peeled, thin or thick, or else they will be bitter and stringy.

	Green Tahini Sauce
750 g White asparagus, trimmed and peeled 3 tbsp Ghee (or olive oil) 1/2 tsp Sea salt 1 tsp Sesame seeds, toasted Basil or parsley, to garnish	1 tbsp Olive oil 1 Small onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 clove Garlic, peeled and minced 200 ml Whipping cream 50 ml Vegetable broth (or water) 3 tbsp Tahini paste 1 tbsp Lemon juice 20 g Basil, roughly chopped 20 g Flat parsley, roughly chopped Salt and pepper

Prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and cook until aromatic and softened, 4-5 minutes. Pour in the cream and broth, bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the tahini, lemon juice, basil and parsley, puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Season.
Trim an inch / 2,5 cm off the bottom of the asparagus stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer layer, sparing the delicate tips.
Heat the ghee in a large grill pan until melted and hot. Place asparagus in the pan, cook for about 5 minutes on one side over medium heat, then flip asparagus and cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the stalks) until tender but still al dente and beautifully charred. Season.

34 comments:

Tom 9/5/24 13:10: ...this is the time to enjoy asparagus!
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 9/5/24 13:55: white asparagus is new to me sounds wonderful and looks great!
DEZMOND 9/5/24 15:02: I like the angle and the richness of the first photo. What do you do with all the greens after each shoot?
Carol @Comfort Spring Station 9/5/24 15:21: It's an interesting combination of flavors
eileeninmd 9/5/24 15:26: Sounds like a delicious recipe for asparagus. Thanks for sharing.
Take care, have a great day!
Christine 9/5/24 15:38: Never had white asparagus
Breathtaking 9/5/24 16:26: Hello Angie :=)
I absolutely love white asparagus, it's more tender than the green, and usually thicker, but I like them both and your recipe looks so good.
All the best
Sonjia.
Anne in the kitchen 9/5/24 17:47: Oh wonderful! Another recipe for my favorite vegetable!
Cooking Julia 9/5/24 18:04: The green sauce looks incredible!
Pam 9/5/24 18:22: I still need to try white asparagus. That sauce sounds amazing.
Lola Martínez 9/5/24 18:25: Es bastante más elaborada la salsa que los espárragos y la unión de ambos dos debe quedar muy rica. Maravillosos.
Citu 10/5/24 01:03: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Brian's Home Blog 10/5/24 01:26: That looks delicious and most fancy too!
My name is Erika. 10/5/24 01:56: Is it easy to find white asparagus where you live? I've never seen it at stores near me, but I think today's recipe looks delicious.
Angie's Recipes 10/5/24 05:15: @DEZMOND I used it to make pesto or green goddess sauce or salads.
Angie's Recipes 10/5/24 05:17: @My name is Erika. Yes, they are very popular during asparagus season. There was time when you hardly found any green one, just the white one. But now both are very popular.
roentare 10/5/24 05:53: That is just my type of treats
Margaret D 10/5/24 07:47: Wasn't aware you could get white asparagus, looks interesting however.
Vicky Cahyagi 10/5/24 09:48: Delicious dan healthy food. Good recipe. Thx for sharing ok
Veronica Lee 10/5/24 12:20: White asparagus is unfamiliar to me, but it sounds delightful and looks fantastic!
Yummm 😋
Federica Simoni 10/5/24 14:53: che buoni!!
LoveT. 10/5/24 16:33: Nice idea with this sauce
COCINA Y REPOSTERÍA DE ANTAÑO 10/5/24 21:24: Hola Angie. Una receta deliciosa con una salsa de diez. Besos.
Anonymous 11/5/24 07:51: Angie; sabe muy rico y sano., como siempre te destacas además por la presentación.
Muchas gracias!
Grace; (www.sentidotienenlascosas.blogspot)
Anonymous 11/5/24 07:51: Angie; sabe muy rico y sano., como siempre te destacas además por la presentación.
Muchas gracias!
Grace; (www.sentidotienenlascosas.blogspot)
Anonymous 11/5/24 13:31: Angie this sounds wonderful! I haven’t had white asparagus in ages. I will definitely try this.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina 11/5/24 16:35: What a creative take on white asparagus! I love them but I usually fall back on the old tried and true hollandaise sauce that I enjoyed back in my Vienna days. Time for a change of pace, I think...
Pattie 11/5/24 19:18: I love asparagus, and I seriously overbought it this spring. Every time I went to the grocery store I bought another bunch, failing to realize I already had some at home. I don’t have a white asparagus, but I do have purple and green, and I would think either one of those would work well. Thanks for the recipe.
Chef Mimi 13/5/24 15:08: This is an excellent use of asparagus. And it’s so pretty!
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina 14/5/24 02:28: Oh how beautiful this is, Angie.... what a lovely play on 'opposites' since the sauce is often white/cream-colored and the asparagus is usually green! Perfect. And I'm sure it is a delightful flavor combination! Happy Spring/Summer!
The Velvet Runway 14/5/24 14:39: This looks delicious and the perfect recipe for this season.
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
tigerfish 16/5/24 04:10: Interesting green tahini sauce
Raymund | angsarap.net 17/5/24 02:53: This recipe is a refreshing twist on a classic! I love how you’ve transformed the usual preparation into something so vibrant and flavorful.
Anonymous 23/5/24 19:10: I wanted to make this recipe when we were outside Paris, but I was having trouble finding good tahini! I can make it at home now, though I might have to use green asparagus as told me the white asparagus I bought the other day was the last of it. David (C&L)