Asparagus with Lemon and Tarragon Mousseline Sauce

Name: Asparagus with Lemon and Tarragon Mousseline Sauce
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 700-900 g (1½-2 lb) fresh asparagus, preferably a green variety; bay leaves and sprigs of tarragon, to steam (optional); bay leaves and sprigs of tarragon, to steam (optional); 3 egg yolks; 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter, creamed with 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon; ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; juice of ½-1 lemon; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) crème fraîche; 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar; salt; 2-3 green peppercorns, finely crushed; 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter, creamed with 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Complete Book of Herbs

By Geraldene Holt

Published 1991

About

The asparagus season arrives with the first tender young shoots of tarragon. The combination of the two exquisite flavours is a timeless example of French country cooking.

Ingredients

700-900 g (1½-2 lb) fresh asparagus, preferably a green variety
bay leaves and sprigs

Europe
France
Side dish
Mediterranean
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Trim the cut end of each asparagus spear, then tie them in one or several bundles with a length of cotton tape.

Cook the asparagus in 5-7.5cm (2-3in) of lightly salted boiling water, with the cut ends standing in the water and the tips covered with a hood of foil that you tuck inside the pan so that the tips cook in the steam. Alternatively, steam the asparagus in a Chinese steaming bas