Asparagus cooked in lemon water, topped with melted butter, chopped hard-boiled egg and ham, Flemish-style.
Flemish-style asparagus comes topped with warm butter, chopped hard-boiled egg and small cubes of ham that slide over the tender spears. The classic version uses just melted butter and hard-boiled egg ; this one adds ham, or browned turkey bacon pieces. Allow 20 minutes for two servings. Find this recipe among my keto main dishes.
What Is Flemish-Style Asparagus ?
It is cooked asparagus served with a topping of melted butter and chopped hard-boiled egg that settles over the spears in little pieces. The butter stays liquid, the egg adds a soft, slightly crumbly texture, and the asparagus retains its fresh, vegetal flavor.
Here, the asparagus cooks in lemon water, and 100 g of ham or turkey bacon pieces goes into the topping. Just one of the two options is enough for a generous but simple topping.
Origins of This Version
Flemish sauce is a seasonal Belgian preparation : melted butter and chopped hard-boiled egg, often seasoned with parsley and nutmeg, served over springtime white asparagus.
This version keeps the butter and egg pairing, uses the lemon only in the cooking water and adds a salty note with ham. It comes into its own when plump white asparagus with tightly closed tips arrives at the markets.
The Main Ingredients
Allow 500 g of asparagus for two people ; white asparagus works particularly well, with fresh, firm spears and tightly closed tips. The juice of one lemon flavors only the cooking water : squeeze it separately to remove the seeds.
Two hard-boiled eggs give the topping its soft texture, and 100 g of butter, preferably from grass-fed cows, provides its warm base. For another way to serve eggs, deviled eggs are a classic.
For the meat, 100 g of pan-fried turkey bacon pieces adds a more pronounced flavor, while 100 g of diced cooked ham is milder. A generous pinch of salt is enough, with a final adjustment at the end since the meat already adds salt.
Cooking Tips and Serving
Wash the asparagus gently, as the tips often hold sand, lay the spears flat and peel them with a vegetable peeler from tip to base, then trim about 1 cm off the bottom. Lay them in a saucepan with the peelings and trimmed ends on top, add the lemon juice and a little over a liter of water, then cook for 5 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes : the tip of a knife should slide in easily. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 8 to 9 minutes, peel and chop them, and brown the turkey bacon pieces ; the ham does not need frying.
Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan without letting it brown, then add the egg and meat. Drain the asparagus well, divide between two plates and spoon the sauce over it, with a well-dressed green salad on the side. One serving contains 668 kcal and about 8 g of net carbs. If you cook 750 g of asparagus, save at least 2 spears, along with the peelings, trimmed ends and cooking water : they make a good soup.
You can find more dishes like this among my low-carb recipes.
Ingredients
- 500 g asparagus
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 eggs
- 100 g turkey bacon pieces
- 100 g ham instead of the turkey bacon pieces
- 100 g butter from grass-fed cows
- Generous pinch salt Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the asparagus, handling it gently to avoid breaking the spears. The tips in particular can hold a lot of sand. Peel with a vegetable peeler (lay each spear flat, place a finger under the tip, then peel downward from the tip in long strokes). Trim about 1 cm off the base.500 g asparagus
- Place the asparagus in a pot and put the peelings and trimmed ends on top. Add the juice of 1 lemon (squeeze it into a separate small container first so you don’t have to fish out the seeds later). Add enough water to cover the asparagus, a little over 1 liter. Cook for 5 minutes, then let stand for another 10 minutes.1 lemon
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs (8 to 9 minutes). Peel them and chop into small pieces. Fry the turkey bacon pieces. If using ham, do not fry it.2 eggs, 100 g turkey bacon pieces, 100 g ham
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the chopped egg and the turkey bacon pieces or ham.100 g butter
- Divide the asparagus between two plates. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus.
