“Cream soup à la Lars”

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 1 kg asparagus
• 500 g asparagus (broken asparagus), optional
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 200 g butter
• 150 g flour
• 200 ml cream
• ½ lemon(s), juice
• nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• cress
• 1 egg yolk, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

from the show “The Perfect Dinner” on VOX from 21.07.2020

First, peel the asparagus, then boil it in water with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt for 40 minutes. Remove the cooked asparagus from the pot and set it aside. Don’t discard the cooking water; instead, add the asparagus trimmings and peels back to the water and simmer for another 30 minutes. Next, strain the water until it is clear again. Now make a classic roux with butter and flour. Pour in the cream and gradually add the strained asparagus water, stirring constantly. Season the soup with lemon juice, nutmeg, and pepper (optionally, an egg yolk). Cut the heads off the reserved asparagus and set them aside. Add the asparagus back to the soup. Now use a hand blender to turn everything into a creamy soup. Just before serving, reheat the soup and add the asparagus heads. Tip: Optionally, you can also add small pieces of broken asparagus for more bite. Sprinkle the soup with cress and serve. Steven prepared this recipe as an appetizer on the show “The Perfect Dinner” – Day 2 in Potsdam – on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.