SERVES 4
To stop ripening asparagus from turning green, they are kept from the sunlight. A mound of mulch is added gradually as they grow, and the tall, thick stalks are finally harvested in the dark. White asparagus are denser and have a higher sugar content than their green cousins, but also have a thicker, bitter outer skin that needs to be peeled away. May and early June is the time for these in Navarra and around La Rioja. As most of the harvest is preserved in tins to enjoy all year, this short season is the moment to take advantage of eating this distinctive vegetable fresh.
Traveling around La Rioja recently in late spring, I did just that and had them for lunch and dinner for more than a week. This recipe is inspired by my favorite version on that trip, Francis Paniego’s, which is much more sophisticated than this. His more modern establishment is next door to his mother’s classic, fourth-generation Echaurren restaurant in the mountain town of Ezcaray. While Francis’s offerings tend to be more contemporary and free-flowing in their creativeness than his mother’s, both celebrate the region’s seasonal bounty.
1. Snap off the hard bottom part of each asparagus stalk at the natural break point and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the fibrous outer skin from each stalk from the tip down.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a large pot, bring an abundant amount of water to a rolling boil, add a generous 2 pinches of salt, and blanch the asparagus by boiling them for 4 to 5 minutes and then immediately transferring with a slotted spoon to the ice water to stop any further cooking. Once cooled, remove with the slotted spoon and drain. Spread out on paper towels to dry.
3. In a sauté pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the jamón. Cook, turning as needed, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the jamón to absorbent paper towels and dab off the excess oil. Chop it into shards.
4. Preheat a grill pan, griddle pan, or large, heavy skillet over high heat, and brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay on the asparagus and grill until golden and just tender, about 5 minutes, turning as needed.
5. Place the asparagus stalks parallel on a plate and drizzle liberally with oil. Dust with the reserved jamón shards and some salt flakes before serving.