Asparagus Pancake Casserole

Ingredients

• 24 spears of white asparagus
• Salt
• sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 250 g flour
• 500 ml milk
• vegetable oil
• 300 g fresh spinach leaves
• 150 g freshly grated cheese (e.g., Emmental)
• 175 g butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt
• white pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the asparagus, cut off the woody ends and cook in lightly boiling salted water with a pinch of sugar for about 15 minutes. Remove, rinse under cold water and drain well. Reserve the cooking liquid.

2. 2.

   For the pancake batter whisk the eggs with the flour, a pinch of salt and the milk into a smooth mixture.

3. 3.

   Lightly oil a pan, pour a small ladleful of batter in and spread it thin by gently turning and tilting the pan. Bake both sides until golden yellow, remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining batter to make eight pancakes.

4. 4.

   Wash, trim and clean the spinach and collapse it in boiling salted water. Drain, rinse under cold water and squeeze out excess moisture.

5. 5.

   For the hollandaise melt the butter and skim off the foam. In a metal bowl combine the egg yolks and 3 tbsp of asparagus cooking liquid and whisk over a hot water bath until creamy. Remove from heat, add the melted butter in thin streams while constantly stirring until a smooth sauce forms. The mixture should not curdle. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

6. 6.

   Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (about 400°F).

7. 7.

   Spread the pancakes on a sheet, layer each with three asparagus spears, scatter some spinach over them and roll up. Place the rolls seam side down in a greased baking dish, pour the sauce over them, sprinkle with cheese and bake for about 15 minutes until gratinated.

8. 8.

   Remove from oven and serve immediately.