White Asparagus Gratin
Depending on availability and preference, you can use green or white asparagus. This dish is a terrific, tasty way to celebrate spring. It serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound white asparagus or green
- a few sprigs Thyme
- 2 leaves fresh bay or 1 dried
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tablespoons truffle butter plus extra for the pan, or plain
- 1/2 cup Plain Crackers broken
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to boil.
- Trim the asparagus and peel it, leaving the tips and about 1 inch unpeeled.
- Reserve the peels.
- Place the asparagus in the boiling water, reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
- While the asparagus is cooking, grease a gratin dish liberally with butter.
- When the asparagus is done, drain and arrange in the gratin dish. Set aside.
- Place asparagus peels, thyme, and bay leaves in a small saucepan. Add milk, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside to steep for 10 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Strain the herbed milk into the butter and flour mixture, and cook over medium heat until béchamel sauce is thick.
- Season with salt and pepper, and stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Pour the béchamel over the asparagus.
- Melt the truffle butter in a small skillet; crush the cracker crumbs and add to the butter. Season well with pepper.
- Cook a minute or two, until the cracker crumbs take on some color.
- Sprinkle them over the béchamel sauce, and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!