Casserole Dish w/ young potatoes, green asparagus & béchamel sauce

 Serve: casserole dish 30cmX20cm

Ingredients:

Steaming the potatoes:

• 1 kg young potatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt

Steaming asparagus:

• 500 grams fresh, green asparagus

Sautéing onions:

• 3 onions (finely shopped)
• 2 pinches salt
• 3 tbsp. high smoking point oil, like canola oil

Béchamel sauce:

• 3 tbsp. high smoking point oil, like canola oil
• 3 tbsp. corn flour
• 1 cup soy or rice milk/ 250 ml
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg powder

Step by step:

Steaming the potatoes:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes.
2. In a steamer, add potatoes, sprinkle it with salt and add 3 bay leaves on the top. Allow the steam to enter the steaming pot freely, close the pot.
3. Steam it until tender, not soft. When they are cooked and chilled, you will slice them, and if they are too soft, they might fall apart.

Steaming asparagus:

1. Wash and trim the ends off of the asparagus.
2. In a steamer, add prepared asparagus. Allow steam to enter the steaming pot freely. Cover it, and steam it until soft.

Sautéing onions:

1. Heat up the pan, add oil, followed by the onions and salt.
2. Steam onions until translucent – golden color. Approx. for 10 minutes.
3. Set it aside.

Béchamel sauce (do it, once your casserole dish is layered):

1. Heat up a sauce pan on a medium low heat.
2. Add oil, followed by the corn flour.
3. Remove the pot from the heat.
4. Stir it vigorously, until oil and flour are well combined.
5. Place the sauce pan back onto the heat.
6. Add soy or rice milk.
7. Whisk it (continuously) on a medium low heat until smooth and creamy, for approx. 1 to 2 minutes.

Assembling the casserole dish:

1. Oil the casserole dish.
2. To create the first layer, cover the bottom of casserole dish with the sliced potatoes, sprinkle them with salt, then add the steamed asparagus, sprinkle them with salt, and finish the layer with sautéed onions.
3. Repeat the step number 2, until you run out of asparagus.
4. Make the top, final layer with sliced potatoes, and cover it with hot béchamel sauce.
5. Cover it with the casserole lid or aluminum foil.

NOTE: If you like it hot, you can sprinkle each layer with cayenne pepper or chili flakes.

Baking:

1. Place the dish into pre-heated oven to 180 °C, with air flow.
2. Bake it covered for 30 – 40 minutes.
3. After this time uncover it, and bake it until béchamel sauce is golden – brown, around 10 minutes.
4. The final baking time will depend very much on your oven. Control the dish to shorten or prolong the baking time.

Step by step video: LINK