Quick ideas
Asparagus with hollandaise sauce
There are few finer ways to celebrate the arrival of the warmer weather than by tucking into a plate of hot, steamed asparagus with a rich hollandaise sauce. Good variations to this are to add orange zest or chopped tarragon to the sauce, or to grate some Italian hard cheese over the spears.
Ingredients
- 400g of asparagus
- 200g butter
- 3 egg yolks
- juice of half a lemon
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200⁰C/Gas 6. Pop the butter into a small pan and melt until it just starts to bubble.
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Step 2
Trim the tough lower stalks from the asparagus, split any larger stalks in half lengthways so that they are all roughly the same size. Throw them into a roasting tray and rub them generously with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 6-8 minutes until just tender.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, put the eggs yolks into the food processor with half the lemon juice and whizz together for 20 seconds. Keep the motor running and very slowly tip the melted butter in as it spins, use a jug for this to give you a steady and even stream. The sauce should thicken and start to take on a glossy mayonnaise type consistency. You’ll hear the noise change to a sucking plughole sound as it thickens. If it seems a bit thick you can loosen it by adding a dash of hot water. If it splits while making it a dash of hot water also works to bring it back together. Season with a pinch of cayenne, salt and more of the lemon juice if you think it needs it.
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Step 4
Pile the asparagus onto a serving plate and spoon over the warm sauce. Finish with a grind or two of pepper.