Three is the lucky number, three reasons to celebrate!
Today is St George’s Day the 23rd of April, the patron saint of England and yet we don’t really celebrate it very much, perhaps because more than any other part of the UK we are going through a process of trying to define (or redefine) what it means to be English in 2018. This day also happens to mark the 3rd anniversary of this blog, and the blog has recently passed the 3,500,000 hits in three years, so a big thank you to all the people who visit Chef Kevin Ashton!
But the third reason to celebrate is that April 23rd marks the beginning of the asparagus season, which is particularly important in the area that I live, called Worcestershire. So here we have a quick recipe, that lets the asparagus shine.
Ingredients (serves 2)
300g Fresh local Asparagus
3 large egg yolks
125g melted unsalted butter
2Tbsp white wine
1Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 small lemon
1/2 lime
4-5 basil leaves* (not too big)
- line the Asparagus up and trim off from the bottom about 1.5 inches (4cm) so that all of the spears are the same length. Then take a sharp peeler and peel the bottom 1 inch (2.cm) of each spear.
- In a heatproof bowl combine the eggs yolks, white wine and white wine vinegar sit the bowl over a saucepan of very hot water that is on a low heat.
- Whisk the egg mixture continuously until it is very thick and creamy. It is important to make sure you are moving all the egg mixture, so it does not begin to turn into scrambled eggs! Scrape the mixture from the sides and the bottom of the bowl as you whisk. If you think the mixture is getting too hot then remove the bowl from your saucepan. This process may take 10-15 minutes when whisking by hand.
- Gradually, begin to slowly add the melted butter into to your egg mix, then whisk until the butter is fully beaten in before adding more. By the time you have incorporated all of the butter, your Hollandaise should be thick as a mayonnaise.
- Finely chop up the basil leaves and add to the sauce, then squeeze a little of the lemon and lime juice until you have a good coating consistency. Then season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cling wrap your hollandaise sauce and keep warm.
- Bring a large pan of lightly, salted water to a rolling boil and cook the asparagus spears for 2-3 minutes, then drain well on paper towel.
To Serve
Divide the Asparagus between two warm plates a serve with your warm citrus hollandaise.
Chef’s Tips
*If basil leaves you have are large then try adding some of the chopped basil and then taste. You can always add more but you can’t take it back out. The flavour should be a marriage of tastes so that no one element overpowers the rest.
Extra Asparagus Tips
Storing
If you plan to keep your Asparagus for a few days, keep it fresh by placing it in a jug or vase with 1inch of the stems in water.
Trimming
Often thicker Asparagus spears need to be trimmed because they are too woody, but you can keep them for soup or sauces.
Cooking
Boil thin stalks for 2 minutes, medium stalks for 3 minutes, and thick stalks for 4 minutes in salted water.
Asparagus, rapini and squash – my 3 favorite veggies in that order! So made you made a hit with me today.
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Thank you GP, I always appreciate hearing from you. When is the Asparagus season where you live?
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Hard to tell, I never see it in the farms around here – what farms are left anyway in our very crowded south Florida!! They were cheap in the stores about 3-4 weeks ago, but I have no idea where they were shipped from.
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I have made a note of this recipe for a dinner sometime this week!! Thanks.
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You are very welcome Suzanne, please feel free to ask, if you have any questions.
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Citrus and basil 🌿 what a winning combo! Love Hollandaise sauce, thank you for this recipe. Happy Will Shakespeare day!
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Thank You Elisabeth,
Warm Regards
Kevin
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And happy third birthday to your blog!
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I’m always flattered when such a good writer as yourself visits my blog, I do appreciate hearing from you.
Best Wishes
Kevin
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I love asparagus and your gorgeous golden sauce is making me hungry! My allotment neighbour used to grow it and it tastes out of this world cut straight from the allotment to your plate soon after.
Congratulations on the blog growth
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Yes, I totally agree, when you are able to get hold of freshly picked vegetables, the taste is amazing. Thank you for your kind support.
Best Wishes
Kevin
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now that spring is finally here ( in Ontario) I look forward to our bed of asparagus springing to life. This recipe came just at the right time . And bravo for your great blog stats!!
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Thanks Anne for your kind words. I visited Ontario a couple of years ago, staying in Toronto and really enjoyed discovering the food and wine scene there.
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Oh, this looks delicious!
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Thank You Michael, it is always good to hear from you. Best Wishes
Kevin
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My fave veggie! Not an egg eater, but I make a citrus type sauce w/o eggs. I should try the white wine in it. That sounds lovely.
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I tried this~it was wonderful! Thank you.
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Really glad you enjoyed it.
Best Wishes
Kevin 🙂
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I’ve tried this dish.
It’s very very very delicious 😋.
And on another note, I’m one Canadian who does celebrate Saint George’s Day 🏴.
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I love it! 🙂
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Thank you Annica, that is very kind of you to say. I love visiting your blog and exploring your photos.
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Thank you very much Kevinashton! I’ll answer you the same 🙂
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I have not yet managed to watch your entire blog. Do you have good recipes for eggs, bacon, mushrooms and onions, I love these ingredients. My great hobby It´s to photograph nature … but I also love to cook good food 🙂 ❤
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I will put my chef’s hat on and see what dishes I can come up with using those ingredients. 🙂
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Wonderful, I look forward to it, no hurry and thank you so much for trying to do it! 🙂 🙂
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It looks delicious 🙂
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Thank you Claire, for your kind words, they are appreciated, please stay in touch
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Schöne Rezepte, ich werde immer wieder mal reinschauen
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Thank you for checking out my recipes. 🙂
Best Wishes
Kevin
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I love asparagus!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
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Luisa, you are most welcome 🙂
Best Wishes
Kevin
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I need to try my hand at hollandaise sauce!
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Yes homemade is so much better than Hollandaise you can buy in a store. And once you have mastered basic Hollandaise it is so versatile.
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Ha, that is one of those things I don’t think about even being available to buy at a store. I am sure if I ate it, I would make it, but I don’t, but I think of it as one of those basic things one should know how to make. 🙂
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Kevin, one of my favorites, thank´s for share.
Elvira
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You are most welcome Elvira
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Thank you Kevin for your kindness.
Best Wishes too.
Elvira
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