PREPARATION
Hard-boil the eggs for the dressing. Cool them down in cold water, peel them and chop them very finely. Next, mix them with the remaining sauce ingredients for the dressing and taste to see if any additional seasoning is required. To make the relish, peel the horseradish root and grate it finely. Blend the horseradish into the whipped cream; add vinegar and grated apple. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add and blend in the breadcrumbs until the relish has the desired consistency. The quantities of ingredients indicated are approximate only; they may vary depending on how spicy you want your relish to be. Wash the asparagus, cut off the ends and peel well, preferably using an asparagus peeler. Remember that the skin contains most of the bitter tasting parts of the asparagus. Divide the peeled asparagus into four bundles of about the same size using kitchen twine. Place them into a pot of well-salted water and cover them with the lid; cook for about 10 minutes. Once the asparagus is cooked (check by pressing down on the bottom ends of the stalks, which should be soft), plate them with the homemade ham, egg dressing and apple-horseradish relish.

Restaurant Pautauner insider tip: If the asparagus is truly fresh, you will not have to add any sugar, butter, white wine or the like to the cooking water.