Katharina Kjeldgaard: Sautéed asparagus with browned lemon butter

This salad with sautéed asparagus, browned lemon butter, toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, and grated lemon zest is both easy and delicious. It’s a fresh and vibrant side dish that pairs well with a range of main courses.

Tip: You can also use other kinds of seeds such as toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds.

Amount: 4 people
Easy to make
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

400 g asparagus
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp flaky salt
25 g butter
½ lemon (both zest and juice)
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
100 ml pumpkin seeds
25 g Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Begin by preparing and washing the asparagus. You can either snap off the tough white ends at the bottom or trim them off with a knife.

Sauté the green asparagus in a pan with two tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of flaky salt. Cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat, or until they start to look grilled.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the roasted pumpkin seeds and the lemon butter. First, for the pumpkin seeds: place them in a small pan along with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of flaky salt. Sauté until they begin to turn golden, then transfer onto a plate.

Now for the butter. Finely grate the zest from the half lemon using a grater and set it aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Using a silver-coloured pan is recommended so you can easily monitor the butter’s colour. It should brown, but not burn. Melt the butter over a medium heat and keep an eye on it. Remove from the heat when it begins to turn light brown, which should take about 3-5 minutes after the butter has fully melted.

Remove the butter from the heat and add the juice from 1/2 lemon, along with freshly ground pepper. Stir well.

Now it’s time to assemble the salad. Start by arranging the asparagus on a serving platter. Then drizzle over the browned lemon butter and top with the pumpkin seeds, cheese, and lemon zest.