Asparagus
Art Print
Klein, Stela
Buy at AllPosters.com

    La Belle Cuisine

Asparagus - The Royal Vegetable

Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...
is an act of integrity, and faith."

A Variety of Asparagus Sauces

"Sauce, n. The one infallible sign of civilization and enlightenment.
A people with no sauces has one thousand vices; a people with one
sauce has only nine hundred ninety-nine. For every sauce invented
and accepted, a vice is renounced and forgiven."
~ Ambrose Bierce

Recipe of the Day Categories:

   Recipe Home

   Recipe Index  

   Appetizers

   Beef

   Beverage

   Bread

   Breakfast

   Cake

   Chocolate

   Cookies

   Fish

   Fruit

   Main Dish

   Pasta

   Pies

   Pork

   Poultry

   Salad

   Seafood

   Side Dish

   Soup

   Vegetable

   Surprise!

Mixed Herbs
Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
 

 
Mushrooms
Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

  From the Garden II
Art Print
Kruse-Kolk, Alie
Buy at AllPosters.com

Your patronage of our affiliate partners supports this web site.
We thank you! In other words, please shop at LBC Gift Galerie!

A Variety of Asparagus Sauces

Basil Sauce
(recommended for green asparagus)

2 ounces bacon, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup veal stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch fresh basil, minced, plus additional small basil leaves for garnish

In a medium saucepan sauté the bacon in the olive oil until it is very crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it well on paper towels. To the same saucepan add the butter and melt it, but do not brown. In it sauté the minced onion, add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for
3 minutes. Slowly add the stock and the heavy cream. Cook the mixture, uncovered, until it is reduced by half. Season the sauce with salt and pepper
to taste, and add the minced garlic. Stir in the minced basil and purée the
sauce with a hand-held blender. Nap each serving of asparagus with some
of the sauce and garnish with the bacon and small basil leaves.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons asparagus cooking liquid
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
Salt, freshly ground white pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chervil
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan bring the asparagus cooking liquid and the cream to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in the butter. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Stir in the minced herbs and serve over freshly cooked asparagus.

Wild Mushroom Sauce

1/2 ounce dried cèpes
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ounce Fontina cheese
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
Minced parsley

In a small bowl soak the dried cèpes in warm water. When the cèpes are softened, drain them, reserving the soaking liquid. Strain the soaking liquid through a double thickness of cheesecloth.
In a medium saucepan sauté the drained mushrooms, shallots and garlic in
the butter until the shallots are just translucent. Add the liquid reserved
from soaking the cèpes and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Over medium heat, cook the mixture, uncovered, until it is reduced by half, and strain it through a fine sieve. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the Fontina, and cook it over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons heavy cream and add the mixture very slowly to the sauce, whisking constantly.
Nap each serving of asparagus with some of the sauce and garnish with
thinly sliced mushrooms and minced fresh parsley.

Orange Sauce with Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon anise seed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup veal or chicken stock
Salt
Cayenne pepper
3 egg yolks
Freshly grated orange zest
Sprigs of fresh rosemary for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat sauté the anise seed, rosemary and garlic in the olive oil. Pour the orange juice through sieve into the saucepan, add the veal stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and
cayenne pepper to taste and reduce the mixture to about 3/4 cup. Whisk the egg yolks lightly, and whisk in a little sauce to lighten, then add this mixture back to the sauce and simmer gently to thicken. Nap each serving of
asparagus with some of the sauce and garnish with freshly grated orange
zest and fresh rosemary sprigs.

Curry Yogurt Sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro plus
additional for garnish
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Scant 1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt
Hard-boiled eggs

In a medium saucepan over low heat lightly sauté cilantro and curry powder
in oil. Deglaze with stock. Whisk together the yogurt, heavy cream and cornstarch, add the mixture to the saucepan, whisking, and cook the sauce 1 minute while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pour the sauce through a fine sieve. Nap each serving of asparagus with some of the sauce
and garnish with cilantro. Serve with quartered hard-boiled eggs.

Back to article - Asparagus: The Royal Vegetable
 

Index - Basic Sauce Recipes
Rites of Spring Index
Daily Recipe Index
Recipe Archives Index