White Asparagus

Know this

Same plant as the green, but mounded under soil so the sun never reaches it, no chlorophyll, no green, a milder and faintly bitter stalk. The chef secret: peel it. The skin is fibrous and will fight you, so peel from just below the tip all the way down and snap off the woody base.

Cook

Gently simmer in salted water with a little butter, sugar, and lemon until a knife slips in clean. Never crunchy, white asparagus wants to be tender.

Season

Spring, the few weeks Europe loses its mind over "Spargelzeit."

Best pairings

hollandaise · brown butter · cured ham · soft egg · lemon · chervil

Also worth trying: new potatoes, parmesan, morels, chives, nutmeg, capers, flaky salt, tarragon, smoked salmon, dijon.

Recommended wine