Asparagus Bisque
A few weeks ago I squealed with joy as friends of ours dropped off a big bag of freshly cut asparagus from their own garden. I get this tingling feeling in my whole body every spring when I know the asparagus is ready and the local farm stands will soon begin displaying these bundles of bright green beautiful stalks. A true perk to live out in the country. For me it’s the best part of the year. The kick-start for the fresh produce season. I fully indulge and eat as much asparagus as I possibly can during its rather short span and I’m sure I’m not the only one. The great thing about asparagus is that there are endless ways to prepare it. Fry it, cook it, steam it, roast it, bbq it, puree it, eat it raw – the list goes on and on.
One of my asparagus favourites is this oh so simple bisque. It’s delightful both hot, room temperature or slightly chilled, depending on the day. The asparagus takes centre seat while nicely backed up by fennel and cumin. A dollop of lemon crème fraîche tops it off. The bisque can be made a day in advance to make your lunch or dinner as enjoyable as possible. Perfect.
2lb asparagus
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
5-6 shallots, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp lightly crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp lightly crushed cumin seeds
White pepper and salt to taste
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest from one lemon
Cut off the bottom 1” of the asparagus and cut them in 2” pieces.
In a large heavy sauce pan, melt the butter with the olive oil. Sauté the shallots until soft ~ 5 minutes. Add the garlic, asparagus and spices and cook for another minute. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let simmer until asparagus is soft, about 10 minutes.
Let cool before transferring the soup to a blender. Purée for a couple of minutes or until very smooth. Pour soup through a sieve into a large bowl. Use the back of a ladle in the sieve to push the liquid through. Discard the solids.
Mix together the lemon juice with the crème fraîche and decorate each serving. Garnish with the lemon zest. Serves 4.
