Fine Asparagus Ragout

Ingredients

• 50 g spelt whole‑grain flour
• 80 g spelt flour type 630
• 0.5 tsp Weinstein baking powder
• Salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 70 g yogurt butter
• 1.5 kg white asparagus
• 2 Spring Onions
• 80 g cherry tomatoes (3 small tomatoes)
• 20 g butter (1 heaping tbsp)
• 125 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• 4 stalks chervil
• 1 lemon
• Pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Put spelt whole‑grain flour and 50 g spelt flour type 630 in a bowl. Stir in baking powder and ½ tsp salt. Separate the egg, whisk the yolk with 1 tbsp water using a fork and add to the flour mixture (use the white elsewhere). Distribute yogurt butter pieces on top and knead everything into dough with a hand mixer’s dough hooks.

2. 2.

   Shape the dough on a lightly floured surface into a roll and cut into eight equal‑thick slices. Roll each slice into a round disc (9–10 cm diameter) and puncture several times with a fork.

3. 3.

   If needed, grease eight cups of a muffin tin, place one dough disc in each cup and press down slightly. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan, gas: level 4) for about 15 minutes.

4. 4.

   Remove the tin from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then carefully lift the dough cups out of the wells and set them on a cooling rack to rest.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile wash the asparagus, trim off the lower ends generously and peel the stalks with an asparagus peeler. Place the asparagus skins in a large wide pot. Add 400 ml cold water, lightly salt and bring to a boil.

6. 6.

   Cut the asparagus at an angle into pieces about 1.5 cm long, place them in a steamer basket over the boiling broth and cover for about 10 minutes.

7. 7.

   In the meantime wash, trim and cut the spring onions into thin rings. Wash the tomatoes, slice off the stem ends wedge‑shaped, quarter, seed and cut into fine strips.

8. 8.

   Remove the steamer basket with asparagus. Strain the asparagus broth through a sieve into a large bowl.

9. 9.

   Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the remaining 20 g flour and sauté while stirring until golden yellow.

10. 10.

    Gradually add milk under constant stirring and bring to a boil.

11. 11.

    Measure out 300 ml of asparagus broth, add it gradually to the sauce and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer over low heat for 8 minutes with frequent whisking.

12. 12.

    Wash chervil, shake dry and pluck off leaves. Halve the lemon and squeeze juice.

13. 13.

    Add asparagus pieces and spring onion rings to the sauce and bring everything back to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Add tomato strips and warm through.

14. 14.

    Distribute the dough cups onto four plates and fill them with the asparagus ragout. Garnish with chervil and serve.