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Asparagus with orange hollandaise sauce
This tangy asparagus makes a great first course for dinner; or serve it with salad and a crusty loaf of bread for lunch.
ingredients
100ml white wine vinegar
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 egg yolks
Salt
200g unsalted butter, melted
½ orange, juiced and rind reserved
36 asparagus stems, washed
Chopped parsley for garnish
method
Put the vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaf into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce to 1 tablespoon.
Beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Set this over a saucepan of hot water on a gentle heat, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. With a whisk, beat the mixture until slightly thickened. Strain on the vinegar and beat well.
Whisk in the melted butter gradually. When the sauce has thickened take it off the heat and beat for a further minute. Taste for seasoning and add the orange juice and rind and salt if necessary. Keep warm by standing the bowl in warm water.
Prepare the asparagus by cutting off the hard ends and peel a little of the stem near the base. Bring a pan of water to boil, add salt and the asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes or until ready. Drain and keep warm.
On each plate put 8 asparagus and serve drizzled with hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 6
NOTE:
Hollandaise sauce will set too firmly if allowed to get cold and it will curdle if overheated. If it does begin to curdle, quickly drop in a little cold water and beat thoroughly. If the sauce is badly 'split', beat another egg yolk in a clean bowl. Stand over the saucepan of water and add the curdled mixture to it, drop by drop, whisking steadily with a wire whisk.
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