Spears of Joy

We wait a long time for the British vegetable season to begin, which kicks off in May with – yes – asparagus, but what an entry. It’s a time to feel especially alive. Best of all, asparagus is an excuse to eat butter. Asparagus and butter are the Fred and Ginger of good food. This topic gives me the chance to share a winning recipe for hollandaise sauce, the best possible companion to asparagus (which I prefer to poach in a shallow pan of salted water). The sauce recipe here comes from My Gastronomy, a book by the great 1980s chef Nico Ladenis – and it is foolproof. 

Asparagus with a Hollandaise sauce
1 tsp white peppercorns
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp (45ml) water
4 egg yolks
200g unsalted butter, melted and still hot
A pinch of fine sea salt
Juice of half a lemon
1kg fresh asparagus

Put the peppercorns, vinegar and water in a pan, bring to boiling point, then strain into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Whisk the mixture as you add the melted butter – very slowly at first, so that the sauce emulsifies, then in a steady stream. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the salt and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce seems thin, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until it thickens. 

To cook the asparagus, use a wide pan such as a frying pan and fill it with 4cm water. Bring it to the boil and add salt. Add the spears, simmer for 5 minutes or until they are just tender. Lift them out – and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately with the sauce. ~ Rose Prince in THE TABLET 13 May