Asparagus casserole in puff pastry

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg asparagus, green or white, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 1 lemon(s), a dashes juice
• 2 packs of puff pastry, refrigerated
• 3 eggs, size M
• 150 g cream
• 100 g Parmesan, grated
• e.g. salt and pepper, nutmeg
• 3 sprigs of parsley, chopped
• 3 sprigs of dill, chopped
• 8 stalks of chives, cut into fine rolls
• 2 stalks of rosemary, needles plucked and chopped
• 100 g ham, cooked, cut into strips
• some butter to grease the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Peel the asparagus (the white asparagus whole and the green in the lower third), trim the ends. Add the “waste” to the boiled vegetable broth with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sugar and simmer for about 20 minutes. Then discard. Add the asparagus to the broth and pre-cook (do not overcook!). Cook the white asparagus for 6 minutes and the green asparagus for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place a package of puff pastry in a greased baking dish, tucking the edges of the pastry up slightly (my dish is 23 x 30 cm, but a little larger will work). Drain the cooked asparagus in a sieve (the wonderful, spicy broth makes an excellent asparagus soup/cream of asparagus, so don’t throw it away!), then spread it over the dough in the dish. Then make a cream with the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and spices (season to taste). Whisk everything briefly with a mixer, fold in the ham strips, and then arrange them over the asparagus. Cut the second sheet of puff pastry into strips and arrange them as desired on the casserole like a lattice. Normally, half to three-quarters of a sheet of puff pastry is sufficient. Then slightly fold the edges of the puff pastry out of the pan. Brush the puff pastry with a little butter. Bake everything at 220 degrees Celsius (top and bottom heat) on the middle rack for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.