When I think “spring vegetables”, I immediately think “asparagus” and while this versatile vegetable can be prepared a number of ways, I’ve always enjoyed it simply roasted, served with a decadent hollandaise sauce. The effortless roast asparagus is complemented and enhanced by the slightly more complicated sauce it is topped with. I had shied away from making hollandaise in my earlier years of cooking, but I have learned tricks over the years to not only remedy any mishaps but make it almost foolproof – hence the recipe and notes below. This side dish would be perfect served alongside roasted lamb (I’m already in Easter menu planning mode over here), chicken, or fish. Should you want to make only the hollandaise without the asparagus, it can be served on top of a number of items including poached salmon, poached eggs (hello eggs benedict), and mixed with lump crab meat for the most luxurious of crab Imperials. Any way you decide, I believe you will enjoy this silky smooth (and now simple) sauce!
Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
Prep Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings as a side (approx. ¾ cup sauce)
Roasted Asparagus
- 1 BUNCH ASPARAGUS
- DRIZZLE OF OLIVE OIL
- SPRINKLE OF SALT + PEPPER
Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 EGG YOLKS
- 1 ½ TBS LEMON JUICE
- ¼ TSP SALT
- PINCH CAYENNE PEPPER
- ½ CUP BUTTER, MELTED
Directions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tough lower stems off asparagus, spread on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 mins, flipping once after about 10 mins
- While asparagus is roasting, make the sauce. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in the blender. Blend for 5-10 seconds
- Melt butter in microwave approx. 30 seconds, until completely melted and hot (may need to do 1 more 30-second interval depending on microwave)
- With blender running, pour hot butter into the small opening on the blender top. Pour in a slow, thin stream, allowing to mix into the sauce without cooking the eggs. Once the entire ½ cup of butter is poured in, blend for an additional 15-30 seconds until sauce starts to thicken. Depending on the power of the blender, you may need to blend a bit longer
- Remove asparagus from the oven. Plate and pour sauce over (or pour the sauce into a bowl to serve on the side). Should be served immediately
Notes
- When roasting asparagus, I like to place in 2 rows on the baking sheet, with the asparagus tips facing each other on the “inside” of the sheet and the tougher ends, facing the outside, towards the edge of the sheet. Items on the edge of baking sheets tend to cook quicker and the ends need more roasting than the tips
- The butter must be hot to make this all come together but poured in slowly as to not cook the eggs. This is the most “complicated” step of the recipe
- My sauce wasn’t initially as thick as I wanted it so after it had mixed in a blender for approx. 30 seconds, I put the whole mixture into a small pan over low heat and stirred for a few minutes, this is where my sauce thickened to my desired consistency. If reheating to serve again the next day, use this same method of warming slowly in a small pot, stirring consistently as to not cook the eggs (i.e. “breaking” the sauce)
- If short on time, you could also blanch the asparagus, cutting the recipe time down, as the sauce itself only takes about 5 minutes to make
