Asparagus with Citrus Basil Hollandaise Sauce

Asparagus with Citrus and Basil Hollandaise© KevinAshton2008

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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

 

Asparagus and Flag

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.

37 thoughts on “Asparagus with Citrus Basil Hollandaise Sauce”

      1. 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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  5. 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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      2. 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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      1. 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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