Asparagus cream soup with saffron and tarragon

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, white
• 1 ½ liters of water
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 80 ml dry white wine
• 100 ml sour cream
• 100 ml sour cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 0.05 g saffron threads (1/2 tin)
• 1 pinch(s) of cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch of white pepper
• 40 g butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp tarragon, dried or fresh
• some lemon peel, untreated (zest)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Flavors in harmony

Peel the asparagus and cut into 12-15 mm long pieces, separating the tips. Bring the asparagus to a boil in water with the wine, salt, and sugar. After 4-5 minutes, add the tips and cook everything together until just tender, then set aside. In the meantime, grind the saffron with a little salt or sugar and place it in a blender with the sour cream, sour cream, cayenne pepper, pepper, and egg yolk; blend briefly. Add 1-1 1/2 ladles of the asparagus cooking water along with some of the asparagus pieces. Blend everything together. Place a second soup pot on the stovetop and make a roux from the butter and flour. Pour in some of the asparagus cooking water through a sieve, mix well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for at least 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly. Slowly stir in the sour cream mixture. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, and a little more wine, if desired. Now add the tarragon. Since tarragon is very intense and needs to harmonize with the asparagus and saffron, don’t use all of it at once; taste it several times until it’s just right. If necessary, heat the soup a little more while stirring, but under no circumstances should it boil.