Warm asparagus salad with red peppercorns

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 kg asparagus, white, rather thin stalks
• 2 tsp pepper – berries, red, dried
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, white, to taste
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

as a main course for 2 people, as a starter for 4 people

Peel the asparagus and cut the stalks into thirds. Brown them on all sides in a pan in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add salt, sugar, peppercorns, and butter, and deglaze with water. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally. During the last few minutes, let the water reduce slightly, uncovered. Remove the pan from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Serve the asparagus with the ham and bread, and top with some peppercorns. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan after sautéing, remove the asparagus and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. The asparagus will still be quite crunchy; if you don’t like it, just sauté it for longer.