Skip to content
H. Schønberg ErkenArkivet
NOENLog in

Boiled Asparagus (asperges au naturel)

Classic boiled asparagus from Erken's Stor kokebok: 1.5 kg asparagus is peeled, bundled, and boiled in salted water until tender, served on a warm napkin with asparagus butter, creamed butter, or maltaise sauce. The trimmed stalk ends are boiled down for stock.

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

Be the first to rate

About the dish

Erken opens the asparagus section with advice on storage: asparagus should be kept in moist sand so it does not wilt, and put in cold water for a couple of hours before boiling. Asparagus with a bitter taste should be transferred to another water as soon as it is boiled.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Peel the asparagus

    Hold the asparagus with the head up and gently scrape with the knife from the head downward, just inside the thin skin.

  2. 2

    Rinse and trim

    Rinse the stalks in cold water and cut away all the woody part, so the stalks are all the same length.

  3. 3

    Bundle

    Tie the asparagus in bundles of 10–20 stalks according to thickness, with all the heads to the same side. Let the bundles lie in cold water until they are to be boiled.

  4. 4

    Boil

    Put the bundles in boiling, salted water and boil until tender – about 30 minutes according to the original, but modern thin asparagus usually needs only 10–20 minutes.

  5. 5

    Arrange

    Take up the asparagus, snip off the ties, and place it on a warm platter with a very hot, folded napkin, or on an asparagus dish with a rack.

  6. 6

    Serve

    Serve asparagus butter, creamed butter, or maltaise sauce alongside. Boil the trimmed end pieces down for stock.

Changes from the original

Amounts are given in modern units (grams, liters). The cooking time is adjusted for today's thinner asparagus (10–20 minutes noted as a guide alongside the original's about 1/2 hour). Otherwise the method is unchanged.

In stores now

Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

Product data and prices via Kassalapp. Prices are updated daily and may vary.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
Modernised → 1914 (proofread, p. 367)~79% of the text changedremovedadded
1,5 kg 1 1/2 kg. asparges (helst hvit). 2 l vann. l. vand 20 g salt. gr. salt 200 g smør (til servering, som aspargessmør eller rørt smør). Hold aspargesen gr. smør. Aspargeserne skrælles, idet man holder dem med hodet opp og skrap forsiktig opad, skraper saa med kniven fra hodet og nedover, like innenfor det nedover litt indenfor den tynde skallet.. Skyll stengene hinde, skyller dem i kaldt vann og skjær bort koldt vand, avskjærer alt det treaktige, slik træet og saaledes, at stengene de blir like lange.. Bind aspargesen lange; bind dem i bunter på 10–20 stenger etter bundter paa 10—20 stykker efter tykkelsen, med idet alle hodene hoder lægges til samme én kant. La buntene ligge Aspargeserne lægges i kaldt vann til koldt vand, indtil de skal kokes.. Legg buntene kokes. De sættes over ilden i kokende, saltet vann vand og kok koker ca. 1/2 time, eller til de er møre – etter originalen ca. 30 minutter, men moderne, tynn asparges trenger som regel bare 10–20 minutter.. Ta opp aspargesen, klipp av båndene møre. De optages, avklippes baandene og legg den på anrettes paa et varmt fat med fat, hvorpaa er lagt en meget varm, sammenlagt serviett, sammenfoldet serviet, eller på paa et bestemt aspargesfat med rist.. Server aspargessmør, rist. Aspargessmør, rørt smør eller maltesersaus serveres til. Kok de avskårne endestykkene De avskaarne stykker efter rensningen av asparges kokes ut til kraft.

Note on Modernised

Mengder er oppgitt i moderne enheter (gram, liter). Koketiden er justert til dagens tynnere asparges (10–20 minutter angitt som veiledning ved siden av originalens ca. 1/2 time). Ellers er fremgangsmåten uendret.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

How long does the asparagus boil?
About 1/2 hour in boiling, salted water – or until the stalks are tender. The total time with cleaning is around an hour.
How do I clean and prepare the asparagus?
Hold the stalk with the head up and scrape/peel with the knife from the head downward, just inside the thin membrane. Rinse in cold water, cut away all the woody part so the stalks are all the same length, and tie them in bundles of 10–20 according to thickness with all the heads to the same side. Let them lie in cold water until they are to be boiled.
What is served with it, and how is it arranged?
Take up the bundles, snip off the ties, and place the asparagus on a warm platter with a very hot, folded napkin – or on a dedicated asparagus dish with a rack. Serve with asparagus butter, creamed butter, or maltaise sauce; the recipe figures 200 g butter to 1 1/2 kg asparagus (6 servings).
Where does the recipe come from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" from 1914, page 367.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Read also

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!