Something less is more: here a simple egg and lemon dressing brings out the best in asparagus. Serve the asparagus as an appetizer or side dish; alternatively it for a light supper, with bread and butter to mop up the juices. When buying asparagus, look for bright coloured firm spears with tight buds – avoid those with tough woody stems. Choose roughly even-sized spears for uniform cooking.
Serves four
Ingredients:
675g/1 1/2lb asparagus, tough ends removed, and tied in a bundle
15ml/1 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 1/2lemons
Method:
1. Cook the bundle of asparagus in a tall pan of lightly salted, boiling water for 7-10 minutes.
2. Drain well and arrange the asparagus in a serving dish. Reserve 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
3. Blend the corn flour with the cooled, reserved cooking liquid and place in a small pan. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and cook over a gentle heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
4. Beat the egg yolks thoroughly with the lemon juice and gradually stir into the cooled sauce. Cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is fairly thick. Be careful not to overheat remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring for 1 minute. Taste and season with salt. Leave the sauce to cool slightly.
5. Stir the cooled lemon sauce, then pour a little over the cooked asparagus. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving with the rest of the sauce to accompany.
COOK’S TIP
For a slightly less tangy sauce, add a little caster (superfine) sugar with the salt in step 4.
