Asparagus with Hollandaise

Name: Asparagus with Hollandaise
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 white peppercorns; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 3 banana shallots, peeled and finely diced; sea salt; 1 large bunch of best-quality fresh asparagus spears, ends cut or snapped; 250 g unsalted butter, melted until pourable; 1 squeeze of lemon juice; 125 ml white wine; 3 large egg yolks; 1 bay leaf; 1 splash of white wine vinegar

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cooks Country

By Matt Tebbutt

Published 2008

About

Asparagus should always be used quickly, while it still gives a good ‘snap’ when bent in half. The stems should be young and not at all fibrous. During the blood orange season (January to March), this hollandaise, with 150ml juice added, goes well with purple sprouting broccoli.

Ingredients

1 large bunch of best-quality fresh asparagus spears, ends cut or snapped
sea salt

Europe
United Kingdom
Sauce
Starter
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
June
May
February
January
Spring
March
Summer

Method

To make the hollandaise, put the shallots, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf into a small saucepan. Pour i n the white wine vinegar and the white wine. Reduce until the liquid i n the pan is barely a tablespoon.

Pull off to the side of the stove and, working quickly, whisk in the egg yolks. Keep whisking over a gentle heat over a pan of water, or at the side of the stove, until the yolks