What is a salamander, and what can I use instead?

A salamander was a glowing iron tool held over the food to give quick surface browning. Today you can use the broiler element (top heat) in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is lightly golden.

How do I make the nut-brown butter for the top?

Melt 125 g butter and let it brown gently until it smells nutty, then stir in 25 g crushed, sifted and dried white bread or rusk. This is poured over the asparagus tips just before plating, so it doesn't lose its crispness.

How is the dish arranged?

The cooked asparagus is arranged in rows on a warm, buttered dish and sprinkled with grated cheese - including the asparagus tips themselves. Then the browned butter with the breadcrumbs is poured over the tips, and the dish is lightly glazed.

Asparagus Gratin (Asperges au Gratin)

Asparagus gratin: cooked asparagus is arranged in rows on a buttered dish, sprinkled with grated cheese, doused with 125 g nut-brown butter mixed with 25 g rusk crumbs and quickly gratinated under the broiler (originally a salamander).

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 367 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Gratinating with a salamander - a glowing iron held over the dish - was common in large kitchens before electric ovens with a broiler element. Today the oven broiler is used.

How to make it

1
Lay out the asparagus
Arrange the cooked asparagus in rows on a warm, buttered ovenproof dish.
2
Sprinkle with cheese
Sprinkle grated cheese over the asparagus, including over the tips.
3
Brown butter
Brown the butter until it is nut-brown and stir in the rusk crumbs.
4
Gratinate
Pour the brown butter over the asparagus tips just before serving and gratinate quickly under the oven's broiler (the original uses a salamander) until the surface is lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Changes from the original

The salamander is replaced with the oven broiler. The amount of cheese is estimated, as the original does not give it. Otherwise unchanged.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra1914 1949 Modernisert

Til1914 1949 Modernisert

1914 (korrekturlest, s. 367) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 405)~42% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til

Aspargesgrateng. (Asperges au gratin.) De kokte asparges anrettes i ~~rækker paa~~ rekker på varmt, smurt fat og strøes med reven ost. ~~Aspargeshoderne strøes med reven ost.~~ Umiddelbart før anretningen ~~overheldes aspargeshoderne~~ overhelles aspargeshodene med 125 gr. nøttebrunt smør, irørt 25 gr. støtt, ~~sigtet,~~ siktet, tørret franskbrød eller kavring. ~~Glasseres let~~ Glaseres lett med en salamander.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a salamander, and what can I use instead?: A salamander was a glowing iron tool held over the food to give quick surface browning. Today you can use the broiler element (top heat) in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is lightly golden.
How do I make the nut-brown butter for the top?: Melt 125 g butter and let it brown gently until it smells nutty, then stir in 25 g crushed, sifted and dried white bread or rusk. This is poured over the asparagus tips just before plating, so it doesn't lose its crispness.
How is the dish arranged?: The cooked asparagus is arranged in rows on a warm, buttered dish and sprinkled with grated cheese - including the asparagus tips themselves. Then the browned butter with the breadcrumbs is poured over the tips, and the dish is lightly glazed.

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