Asparagus with vanilla, sea salt, butter and herb cream

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ kg asparagus, white
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 slice(s) lemon(s), organic
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 100 g butter
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 200 g crème fraîche
• 200 g yogurt, whole milk
• 5 tbsp herbs, mixed, chopped
• some salt
• some pepper, from the mill
• ½ lemon(s), organic
• some sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Peel the asparagus thinly with a vegetable peeler and trim the ends with a knife. Tie the asparagus spears together with kitchen string (or twine) into 4 portions. Bundled in portions, the asparagus is easier to remove from the cooking water and place on plates—and it’s fair, too! In a wide pot (large enough to fit the asparagus spears lengthwise) with a tight-fitting lid, bring a little water to a boil with salt, sugar, and lemon slices. Add the asparagus bundles and cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Remove the covered pot from the heat and let the asparagus stand for another 5 minutes. Caution: Do not open the lid, as this will release too much heat and prevent the asparagus spears from cooking further. For the vanilla-sea salt-butter: Halve the vanilla pod, slice it open, and scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife. Melt the butter and stir in the sea salt, vanilla seeds, and vanilla pod halves. Add the pod to the butter; it also adds a lot of flavor! For the herb cream: Mix the crème fraîche and yogurt. Rinse the herbs, shake dry, chop the leaves, and stir in. Don’t let the chopped herbs stand for long; use them immediately. Finely chopped, they quickly lose their flavor when exposed to air! Season the cream with salt, pepper, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. TIP: Serve with new potatoes and ham. For a vegetarian option, serve it with a small omelet instead of ham!