Sometime before the end of May, I wanted to get this recipe up on my blog, and as this is the last posting week of the month, today is the day! Asparagus is in peak season right now and chives are up and in bloom. (Those are chive blossoms in the header picture above. BTW.)
At first glance, the lemon sauce prepared for this asparagus recipe looks an awful lot like hollandaise sauce. The two sauces certainly do contain all the same ingredients. The biggest difference is in the amount of butter used. It’s about half the amount of butter here compared to a typical hollandaise sauce. This lemon sauce also uses more lemon juice and incorporates some lemon zest into the sauce.
The dish is finished off with more lemon zest, some snipped chives, and some chive blossoms as garnish. The flowers of chives are completely edible. They have a delicate sweet and grassy start and a peppery, garlicky finish. And they add a beautiful pop of delicate purple to a dish. To use them, pull the tiny, individual blossoms apart from the main flower head and sprinkle them over the dish. Chive blossoms are a wonderful way to elevate savory dishes, especially vegetable or egg dishes.
Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Asparagus with Lemon Sauce (adapted from BHG.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Makes: 1-1/4 cups lemon sauce, Yield: 2 – 3 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 3/4 teaspoon snipped fresh chives, chive blossoms, and lemon zest for serving
Directions:
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the cold water until the eggs are light in color and the mixture expands four times in size, about 5 minutes.
Start by whisking the egg yolks with the water.
Place the bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water, and continue to whisk for 4 minutes. With the bowl still over the simmering water, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure the egg does not cook onto the side of the bowl. Fold the mixture using the spatula until the eggs reach 160ºF.
Whisk the eggs over boiling water.
Remove the eggs from the heat. Gradually whisk in the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Whisk in the butter, lemon juice & zest, salt, and cayenne.
Meanwhile, steam the asparagus in an asparagus steamer in 2 inches of water for 8 – 10 minutes, until the spears are crisp-tender.
Steam the asparagus.
Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Top the spears with fresh chives, chive blossoms, and additional lemon peel.
Plate the asparagus in a serving dish with chives, chive blossoms, and lemon zest.
Serve the asparagus with the lemon sauce.
Serve the asparagus with the lemon sauce.
This is a wonderfully light and refreshing way to prepare asparagus! ~Linda
Asparagus with Lemon Sauce (adapted from BHG.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Makes: 1-1/4 cups lemon sauce, Yield: 2 – 3 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 3/4 teaspoon snipped fresh chives, chive blossoms, and lemon zest for serving
Directions:
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the cold water until the eggs are light in color and the mixture expands four times in size, about 5 minutes. Place the bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water, and continue to whisk for 4 minutes. With the bowl still over the simmering water, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure the egg does not cook onto the side of the bowl. Fold the mixture using the spatula until the eggs reach 160ºF. Remove the eggs from the heat. Gradually whisk in the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Meanwhile, steam the asparagus in an asparagus steamer in 2 inches of water for 8 – 10 minutes, until the spears are crisp-tender. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Top the spears with fresh chives, chive blossoms, and additional lemon peel and serve with the lemon sauce.