Hollandaise with Blanched Asparagus

“Hollandaise” was the first French word I could remember and pronounce, since asparagus with hollandaise sauce was an early passion growing up in “England with my mother’s kitchen garden where I was in charge of raising strawberries and asparagus. Hollandaise is a pure sauce, and I feel purist about it: lemon juice, salt, pepper, butter, and egg yolks are its proper components. Clarified butter is called for in some recipes. It is easy, and oily.

Here are the secrets to a successful hollandaise: Make a sabayon-like base first by beating the yolks with the lemon juice and then cooking slightly over simmering water; never let the sauce get too hot or you will have scrambled eggs; add the butter gradually and keep the sauce slightly warm when finished. If the sauce breaks, start the process again with a couple of yolks and add the broken sauce gradually; a tablespoon of hot water does wonders for critical moments (breaking sauce) and texture (too thick).

Make this sauce with imported French or artisanal USA butter (low water content) and you will become an addict.

One of my favorite ways to use hollandaise is to serve it over freshly blanched asparagus, as shown in this recipe. It's especially good during the spring when you can get the thicker variety of asparagus in season.

Makes 3 cups of Hollandaise.

Asparagus preparation serves 4 as a side dish.