Asparagus is Back!
Blog Entry: Friday 14 May 2010
From local versus imported to what makes the best asparagus sauce, everyone seems to be talking about this seasonal treat. While we of course support local produce, we weren’t so certain about what makes the best sauce.
Many people simply melt butter over asparagus as a super simple and delicious sauce. But many other people think that you need to add something to the butter to truly get the best out of this veg. The consensus seems to be that a buttery hollandaise sauce is the way to go. This mixture of butter on egg yolk creates a sort of warm mayonnaise that complements the asparagus perfectly.
However, the disagreements don’t end there, with many people arguing over how to make the best butter hollandaise sauce. So we thought we would add to the debate and offer up our favourite recipe from Friends of Butter resident chef, Matt Sworder.
Ingredients:
110ml red wine vinegar
2 shallots, finely chopped
5g of cracked black peppercorns
25g butter
4 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
Handful of tarragon leaves
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Pour a little olive oil onto a baking tray and toss the asparagus in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until perfectly golden and al dente.
3. In a small pot, combine the red wine vinegar, shallots, cracked pepper and tarragon leaves. Bring to the boil and reduce until the vinegar has almost evaporated.
4. Place butter in a small pan over a low heat. As the butter melts, a foam will rise at the top – skim it off and discard. Remove from heat and set aside so that the milk solids settle at the bottom of the pan.
5. Place the egg yolks in a bain-marie. Add the tarragon red wine reduction. Whisk the eggs constantly; pulling the bowl away from heat if the eggs start to harden. Once the eggs become foamy and start to thicken SLOWLY incorporate the butter. Keep whisking until the butter is incorporated. Finally season with salt and pepper until you reach desired taste.
6. To serve, place asparagus neatly on a plate and pour over the hollandaise sauce. Enjoy with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine.
Read more at the Telegraph.co.uk.
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