Local asparagus is at it’s peak right now and I could eat it every day. It’s so versatile and can be prepared in many delicious ways, but my favorite preparations are simple and straightforward: roasted, grilled, steamed, and stir fried are at the top of the list. Steaming is my choice if I want to serve it with hollandaise sauce. Cook the asparagus just until it is fork tender.
If you’ve never made hollandaise sauce I urge you to do it during asparagus season. It isn’t a difficult sauce to make as long as you don’t let the egg mixture get too hot. A double boiler works best, but a bowl set over a pan of simmering water works well also. Just make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the hot water.
Classic Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons boiling water
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt the butter and keep it warm. Heat the lemon juice until just warmed. Have small saucepan with boiling water and a measuring spoon ready.
Place the top of a double boiler or a medium bowl over hot water. Place egg yolks in the double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking the mixture after each addition. Keep the heat low enough so the eggs don’t begin to scramble. Remove the double boiler from the heat.
Whisk in the warmed lemon juice. Beat the sauce like crazy with a wire whisk as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne and beat until sauce is thick. Serve immediately.
If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the sauce begins to separate you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream and beat with a whisk until it is smooth again.
Serve this decadently rich sauce over vegetables, fish and Eggs Benedict. It takes only minutes to make and is more than worth all the frantic mixing. I like to pile asparagus spear on a slice of toasted bread (I might even add a very thin slice of ham) and spoon some of this luscious, lemony sauce over the top. What could possibly be more delicious than that!
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
This is one of our favorite ways to eat asparagus — great picture!
Can't go wrong with Hollandaise. It's so flavorful.
Nisrine
This looks so yummy! Asparagus is my favorite!!! And with hollandaise – double yum!!!
Such a perfect melding of flavors. I make my Hollandaise exactly like that. Enjoy them while they are fresh and readily available.
This is one of my personal favorites. My Nonna also made it using orange instead of lemon- so very good!
xoxo Pattie
Love the photo. Two of my favourites. Everything is better with hollandaise sauce.
Ahhh, asparagus……love em! And your peonies from earlier post…oh how I wish we could grow them here!
Ive never made hollandaise sauce..I will have to try this …it looks very creamy and smooth… it has to be delicious. I can imagine it with asparagus..perfect blend m sure.
I'm with you. When asparagus is in season, I can eat it for every meal. We have a local farm that picks it fresh each morning. I was there Saturday and they picked it for me while I waited! I haven't done it with hollandaise in a while. A funny aside: When we moved into our home, our younger son was five. We were sitting on boxes and eating on paper plates. I snagged some fresh asparagus and had to "steam" it in the microwave. As we sat down to our box, he looked at the asparagus and asked "isn't there any hollandaise sauce?"!!!!!
Thanks for the memory!
Best,
Bonnie
Be still my heart!!! Looks so delicious – need to pick some more at my sis' patch. I admit, I usually use the Knorr packet for the hollandaise – but your recipe looks simple enough I will have to try it and compare!
Wow that is so good for my favorite asparagus! Thanks for the easy to follow recipe. The problem in the tropics is that asparagus is not very common, so expensive. I am actually new in your site, just followed your comment in Voice in the Garden. thanks.
My husband would leave me for you if he saw this post!!! He LOVES asparagus & sadly, I can't stand it. I think I must be the only person in the universe who hates it. Weird, huh?
I do make it for him, though. He even planted his own little patch of it in one of our backyards but we moved & he never got to harvest any. Wonder if the new folks knew what it was??
I promise to try your recipe for the sauce next time I make it for him. Thanks for sharing it.
Hollandaise sauce can go very wrong in my kitchen so I am glad to have a good guideline to follow here.It would be perfect with local asparagus.
Oooh Cathy… lol… we have .25 lb we picked several days ago and more to harvest today, and I have not made hollandaise in years. Thank you for this wonderful reminder as part of tonight's dinner.
Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. Beautiful picture. Love the recipe.
You are going to make a cook out of me yet, Cathy! Look at this. YUM! Does it get any better???
XO,
Sheila
no one makes real hollandaise anymore…what a treat to make it! I did want to teach my girls this year but we never quite made it… we got all the other mother sauces, sigh……next year for sure!
and on asparagus or eggs benedict its just perfect!
Cheers
Dennis
Yum, yum, yum. This is one of my very favorite dishes. Excellent photo Cathy!
Love asparagus with creamy sauce..yum!
This is my favourite. I love asparagus. It's in season now. I have to cook this.
I like your idea of serving steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce along with eggs benedict as these ingredients complement each other so well.
Sounds yummy. I agree there is nothing like fresh, in season veggies. I love asparagus especialy. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I have never tried Hollandaise Sauce.
what a perfect way to enjoy asparagus. i love the homemade hollandaise sauce, gorgeous!
I love this time of year for all the asparagus. I had a small patch but last year a contractor dug it up by accident – good thing there's lots in the farmers' market!
MMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…gorgeous!
My favorite sauce. I really like how smooth yours look Cathy!
Cathy, that is a fabulous picture! They look delicious!
Very nice photo. The asparagus still look so fresh. That's how I like my vegetables, not wilted when cooked. Gorgeous!
Gorgeous photo! Hollandaise is my biggest weakness and asparagus is my favorite veggie. This is pure heaven!!
A versatile sauce and a mouthwatering picture! Thank you!
I really love asparagus with hollandaise. That is a beautiful photo. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
I haven't made a hollandaise in a long time. It is yummy with asparagus!
These asparagus look so plump & nice! Must be very tasty. I can only find the small ones over here.
I've yet to make a hollandaise, but I'm inspired to now. It's perfect with asparagus.
I included your recipe in my Thanksgiving roundup post today.
I’ve made this twice in the last week and have absolutely loved it. Great recipe!
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