Asparagus and Hollandaise sauce

Asparagus and hollandaise sauce are the perfect side for lamb chops at a wonderful dinner. Asparagus is in season this time of year, and hollandaise dresses it up a bit. You can find asparagus pretty much in any grocery store and sometimes even fresh at farmers markets this time of year. Hollandaise sauce is wonderful on many items, however, it really makes asparagus taste wonderful and it contrasts nicely with a meat dish. The trickiest part of this recipe will be making the hollandaise sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• a pinch of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place steamer basket over hot water pot. Once steaming, place asparagus in steamer basket. Leave asparagus until you’re finished creating the hollandaise.
2. Melt the butter and make sure to keep it piping hot. Careful not to burn.
3. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper into a pot. Using a whisk, mix until all ingredients are combined.
4. As you are whisking vigorously, slowly add a stream of hot melted hot butter into the mixture. Do not stop whisking. It may be necessary to stop adding butter to whisk more and then begin to re-add the butter after it has been reheated.
5. When hollandaise sauce is finished, remove asparagus from steamer basket. Quickly spoon warm hollandaise sauce over the asparagus.  Sprinkle with a dash of paprika for color.

TIPS:

• Butter must be hot, not just melted. Warm butter will not emulsify. You can cook it over the stovetop, or you can pop it in the microwave. Personally, I prefer the stovetop because you can control the heat better as to not burn the butter.
• To expand the recipe, add another egg yolk and 1/2 cup of melted butter.
• The key to the consistency is making sure your butter is melted and hot. If your sauce is a speckled mess, don’t worry. You can bring your sauce back to life by adding one to two tablespoons of boiling water as you’re blending. You must blend this very slowly and consistently. Additionally, you can add an extra egg yolk while whisking vigorously. Blend until sauce is creamy.
• You can use an immersion blender instead of a whisk. To use, blend all ingredients together with the immersion blender. Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the butter while it is piping hot. It should emulsify immediately.
• Hollandaise is best served fresh, but it does save in the refrigerator for a day or two.
• To reheat hollandaise, you can use either a microwave or a stove top.
  • To reheat in the microwave, place the hollandaise sauce in a glass bowl and heat for 15 seconds. Stir, and place back in for another 15 seconds. Repeat this process until it’s fully warmed up.
  • To reheat on a stovetop, pour the sauce into a pan over low heat. Add a tablespoon of melted butter and whisk together to re-emulsify. Once it is warmed back up, serve.