WHITE ASPARAGUS AND POTATOES WITH VEGAN AIOLI

I just arrived in Hamburg and my mum knows my love for white asparagus, so she made it my first lunch. So simple and so incredible. I drizzle my vegan aioli with a pinch of sweet paprika over the lot and add a few sprinkles of parsley for colour.

I could easily eat this every day. I have not seen white asparagus very often in Australia or Vietnam, but if you come across it anywhere, give it a go!

They need to be peeled, sadly. But it is 150% worth the effort!!

Timingwise, the potatoes need to boil about 5 minutes longer than the asparagus, potatoes are added to cold water, the asparagus to boiling water.

WAXY POTATOES

I love waxy potatoes, to me they just have more flavour and they don't fall apart when cut. In Sydney I buy dutch cream or kipfler potatoes, in Hamburg I only buy festkochende Kartoffeln.

wash them well, so that you can eat them with the skin, which is what I prefer. Most of the nutrients are in the skin-

MAKE VEGAN AIOLI

I make my own vegan aioli and for this recipe added a tiny pinch of sweet paprika to it, for a bit of colour, optional
click here for the recipe
or buy some vegan majonaise or vegan aioli, even a vegan butter with some sea salt sprinkled over it would be amazing

BOIL POTATOES

add potatoes to cold water with a pinch of salt
bring water to the boil and boil them for approximately 20 minutes
to check if they are done, insert a thin knife after about 15 minutes and lift the potato above water level, it will slide off the knife when it is done
or if in doubt, cut one open on a plate and taste it. I like mine done, but still quite firm.
as cooking time depends on the size of the potato and how hot your water is, please check every now and then.

BOIL PEELED ASPARAGUS

cut the woody ends off, depending on the quality of the vegetable, 1-2 cm
peel the stems, avoiding the head
heat water to a gentle boil with a pinch of salt, in a large pot. Best not to cut the stems in half to fit the pot, I prefer to cook them in an extra large pot
once the water is boiling, reduce it to a simmer and cook them for 12-15 minutes, until the heads are tender
gently remove from the pot and serve immediately