Cream of Asparagus Soup ('Spargelcremesuppe')

Prepare the asparagus broth:

Take your asparagus peel and trimmings and add them into a large pot together with the spring onions, ginger, and thyme. Cover with 5 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Let the broth simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain your finished broth through a fine-mesh sieve.

Prepare your asparagus:

While the broth is cooking, heat the clarified butter over high heat in a large saute pan and add the asparagus. Fry the asparagus for 2-3 minutes on each side until very lightly charred. Season to taste with salt and add 1/4 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover your pan, and put the heat on the lowest setting. Let the asparagus braise until tender, about 8 minutes. Take it off the heat and cut the asparagus stalks into 1-inch slices. Reserve the leftover braising liquid.

Prepare the soup:

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the flour. Sweat the butter-flour mixture ('roux') for 3-4 minutes until it smells slightly nutty but is still pale in color. Add your white wine and whisk constantly to prevent the soup from turning lumpy. Add in your asparagus broth and leftover braising liquid from cooking the asparagus in small batches while whisking constantly. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, sugar, and lemon juice. Season the soup to taste with nutmeg, black pepper, and salt.

Serve the soup:

To serve, divide your cooked asparagus slices among four serving bowls and ladle over the hot soup.