16 Oct Asperges à la Flamande

Posted at 12:21h in Small by Elizabeth Peddey 3 Comments

BEGINNER COURSE

Small

Asperges à la Flamande

16 October 2020

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PREP. TIME: 5 MIN - COOK TIME: 10 min - SERVES: 4 - 6

The hot asparagus in this dish are served with melted butter which you need to treat in a special way. The mashed yolk of hard boiled eggs are blended carefully with the butter to create a creamy, slightly fluid sauce. Flecks of the egg will appear in the sauce. It looks wonderful on green or purple asparagus.

When served on warmed, individual white plates the dish makes for a beautiful looking and excellent tasting first course.

The term ' à la Flamande' refers to other dishes derived from the regional cookery of northern France.

Be sure to use first grade butter. I recommend unsalted Lurpak brand. For best results be sure to carefully follow the guidelines below on how to melt the butter properly. Remember to season well with plenty of salt and pepper.

If you choose to use white asparagus - add a small amount of very finely chopped parsley, chives or tarragon to the sauce.

ingredients for 4- 6 serves

1 kg cooked thick, fresh asparagus spears

200g good quality, cold butter - such as Lurpak

2 yolks of hard boiled eggs cooked for 8 minutes

Salt and pepper

equipment

Small kitchen knife

Medium sized heavy based saucepan

Whisk

Fork for mashing the egg yolks

Wooden spoon for stirring

Metal spoon for distributing the sauce

Warm, white dinner plates - oval shape is ideal - for serving.

METHOD

Step 1

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 4 - 10 minutes - depending upon their thickness.

Step 2 - While the asparagus are cooking - make the sauce.

If you are not using clarified butter you need to melt the butter very carefully, otherwise the milk solids in the butter will spoil the look of the dish.

To melt the butter:

Cut it into small cubes

Place the pan over low heat and add 1/4 of the butter and whisk vigorously.

As soon as the butter is melted, add half of the remaining butter and whisk until it boils again.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining butter, whisking it continuously until all of the butter is melted.

The sauce should be thick, smooth and creamy.

Step 3 - Combine the egg yolks

Carefully mash the egg yolks with a fork - as finely as you can.

Add the mashed yolks to the melted or clarified butter, just a little at a time, stirring constantly to amalgamate them into the butter.

You will have a creamy sauce that is slightly liquid. Keep it warm.

Step 4 - To Serve

Drain the cooked asparagus on kitchen paper towel.