The beauty of being cooked for is that completely new combinations of flavors and ingredients often end up on the table, which you might never have thought of yourself. That was exactly the case this week when Thomas served us this exotic, spicy variation of an asparagus dish: to green and white asparagus, he surprised us with a sweet potato-coconut cream whose mild sweetness provided a lovely contrast to the spicy sardinettes. When everything was finished, we licked our fingers for more and are delighted that the asparagus season has only just begun.
Fortunately, sardine season (at least in cans) lasts all year round, and sweet potatoes are also available at any time of year. But you shouldn't wait too long to try this recipe – enjoy it right away!
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 2 cans of spicy sardines, e.g. sardinettes au piment d’Espelette
- 5 - 6 sweet potatoes
- 1 - 2 onions
- 15g fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp curry powder (e.g. from Saravane, available in our shop)
- 1 tsp coriander (ground)
- 100ml orange juice
- 400ml coconut milk
- 1 bunch white asparagus
- 1 bunch green asparagus
- Zest of 1 orange and 1 lime
- Olive oil
- a little white wine vinegar
- Salt, pepper, sugar
Preparation
Peel the sweet potatoes, onions, ginger and garlic, then cut them into even pieces. Sauté everything together in a pot with a little oil (without letting it brown), add the spices after about 3 - 4 minutes and sauté for another 1 - 2 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and coconut milk (so that the potatoes are completely covered with liquid) and cook over low heat until soft. The best way to check if the potatoes are soft is with a sharp, pointed knife. When everything is nice and soft, blend until smooth with a hand blender and season with a little salt and pepper.
Now peel the white asparagus and cut off about 1cm from the ends; do not peel the green asparagus, just cut off about 1.5cm from the ends. Cut the asparagus into even pieces (similar to penne pasta) and fry them in a hot pan with olive oil. Season with a little salt, pepper and sugar. The asparagus should be lightly browned but still nice and crisp. Finally, fold in the orange and lime zest and season with a little white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Done.
Bon appétit!
Our wine recommendation
The Vinho Verde Quinta do Ameal 2016 Loureiro is very refreshing and beautifully mineral. It has notes of citrus fruits and green notes of grass and clover, and is also slightly salty. A very charming wine with very low alcohol content (11.5%) that is a perfect companion for this dish.
