asparagus with hollandaise.

There was a time when I thought hollandaise was just impossible to make. Quite temperamental it is. One little mishap and the sauce breaks. Overheat it and it curdles into an omlette. Seems like something best left to the pros to handle. So, I avoided making hollandaise for a while, fearing failure. But after ten years, I decided to give it a try. Just a try. And...

I was greeted by success! Apparently, it wasn't as scary as I first thought. In fact... it was quite simple. Rich and creamy with a hint of tartness from the lemon, hollandaise is wonderful with seafood or over poached eggs. In this post, I'll be pairing it with asparagus.

Asparagus with Hollandaise (Adapted from The Food of France by Maria Villegas and Sarah Randell)

We'll need:

about 24 asparagus spears
2 egg yolks
2tsp lemon juice
7tbls butter (at room temp and cubed)

Utensils:
pot of boiling water
 knife
whisk
saucepan
colander
measuring spoons


~Wash the asparagus. Then  remove the tough woody ends by holding each end of the spear and bending it gently until it snaps.  Next, cook the spears in a pot of boiling water until tender (about 4 minutes).

~Drain in a colander and place under cold running water. Then place in a serving dish (or on individual plates). Set aside.

~Now on to the hollandaise! In the saucepan, whisk together the egg  yolks and lemon juice over low heat. Whisking continuously, add the butter few cubes at a time until the mixture thickens. Then turn off the heat and season the sauce. (Please watch the heat carefully! Otherwise, the sauce will curdle into a mess and you'll get scrambled eggs instead. -__-;;)

~Spoon the sauce over the asparagus and serve~ =)