South Tyrolean asparagus strudel

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 275 g puff pastry, from the refrigerated section (rectangular)
• 1 kg white asparagus
• 500 g spinach
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 150 g cooked ham (Prosciutto cotto), in thin slices
• 1 egg(s)
• 2 tbsp cream
• some butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sugar
• Salt
• pepper
• nutmeg
• lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Clean and wash the spinach and blanch it in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove and drain well, squeezing dry if necessary. Then roughly chop. Peel the asparagus and trim off the woody ends. Cook in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, depending on the strength. It should not be cooked yet. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and trim off 2 cm of the ends. Cook these ends in the asparagus stock until soft. Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread the spinach on top. There should be about a 1 cm edge uncovered all around. Sprinkle the spinach with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Place the ham slices on top. Now place the asparagus in the middle and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fold the puff pastry over the asparagus so that the pastry overlaps. Press the seam down. Press the ends of the puff pastry parcel firmly and fold over slightly. Place the strudel seam-side down. Pierce the top 5-6 times with a small knife to allow the hot air to escape. Whisk the egg with the cream and brush the top of the strudel with it. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the asparagus ends with a little cooking liquid and butter to make a thick sauce. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice. Grate the tomatoes (you can discard the skins!). Mix the asparagus sauce with the grated tomatoes and season with olive oil. Slice the finished strudel and serve with the asparagus and tomato sauce.