New German Cooking: Spargel mit Steinpilzbutter und Mandeln (White Asparagus with Porcini Mushroom Butter and Almonds)

I ran across some really beautiful white asparagus on a trip to the grocery store, and never having eaten or cooked it, it was a bit too tempting to ignore.  I knew white asparagus was pretty big in German cooking, so I reflexively turned to my German cookbooks.  And boy did I hit the jackpot with this recipe.  It seems super simple - it's just a compound butter and almonds on top - but somehow it all works together to be more than the sum of its parts.

Spargel mit Steinpilzbutter und Mandeln (White Asparagus with Porcini Mushroom Butter and Almonds)
From New German Cooking

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley
1 pound white asparagus
¼ cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted

Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover until soft, about 1 hour. Drain well, squeeze out the excess liquid, and then coarsely chop. In a food processor, combine the mushrooms, butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper and puree until smooth. Add the parsley and pulse just until incorporated.

Lay a sheet of waxed paper on a work surface.  Scoop the butter mixture onto the paper, spreading it in a lengthwise strip on the sheet and leaving about 1 inch uncovered on each end.  Roll the paper around the butter, pressing against the paper lightly to shape the butter into a long, even cylinder.  Grasp the ends and twist in opposite directions to seal closed.  Refrigerate the butter for up to 2 weeks.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel each asparagus spear from just below the tip to the base, removing the tough skin.  Snap off the woody base from each spear where it breaks easily and then even the ends with a paring knife.

Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with water, bring to a boil over high heat, and season with salt.  It should not be too salty; instead, it should be seasoned just enough to resemble a good chicken stock.  Plunge the asparagus into the boiling water and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes; the timing depends on the size of the asparagus.

Drain the asparagus and arrange on a platter.  Top with the porcini butter and the almonds.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings