12311 Asparagus With Asparagus Sauce Serves 6 Wed Aug 06 01:03:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 08 16:36:35 -0700 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12311 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:36:35 GMT This recipe was inspired by an asparagus sauce served with grilled duck foie gras that I ate in Michel Guérard's restaurant at Eugénie-les-Bains. Guérard's sauce was made with lukewarm asparagus, mounted with vinegar and oil, and pureed in an electric blender. My sauce, a puree of asparagus skins mounted with butter, is served warm over freshly cooked large asparagus spears. It can also be used to coat a mixture of other springtime vegetables, such as baby carrots, turnips, mushroom caps, and, of course, the tips of young asparagus. The fresher the asparagus, the better the dish.

To peel or not to peel—that is the question. Many people discard the bottom halves of large asparagus spears because they find them tough and stringy. The solution, of course, is to peel off the skins, but some cooks think this is too much work. I hope this dish will inspire them to peel, since it gives them something to do with the peelings that will marvelously enhance the taste of asparagus, and at the same time salvage the good vitamins concentrated in the peels.

A vegetable peeler isn't the best tool for this, since, due to the tapering of the asparagus spears, you must remove more skin from the bottoms than from the tops. There are two solutions: You can invest fifteen or so dollars in an asparagus peeler, or make an inexpensive guide for your paring knife, which will help cut off just the right amount of peel. I'm grateful to André Soltner, former chef-owner at New York City's legendary restaurant Lutèce, for teaching me how to make one.

To make a wire knife guide that can easily slip onto any thin-bladed knife, purchase a 15-inch length of 16-gauge wire. The wire should just bend under a small amount of pressure. Using both your index fingers, twirl each end toward the center, leaving about 1¼ inches of straight wire between two concentric circles. If you're right-handed, slip the circles onto the blade so that the straight wire is above and in front of its sharp side. (There should be an 1/8-inch or so margin between blade and wire, to be adjusted as necessary according to the thickness of the asparagus stalk.) Lefties can fasten the circles so that the wire is below and in front of the blade.

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  • Line up the asparagus and cut away about 1 inch of the tough bottoms. (Breaking at the tender part of the asparagus is for pencil-thin types, which are not peeled.) Place one asparagus on a work surface and, starting at the thick end, using the knife and guide, peel toward the tip. (Some people find it easier to work from the tip to the base of the spear.) The guide should just skim the top surface while the knife cuts away the thick peel; be sure to reserve all the peels. You will notice that the knife takes less peel as you near the tip. Drop into a bowl of water. Tie into bunches when all are peeled and wrap in a moist towel until ready to cook. (If you prepare the asparagus in advance, soak in ice water with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to each 4 cups.)
  • To make the sauce, cook the reserved peels in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until very soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Puree until perfectly smooth in an electric blender, or pass through the fine blade of a food mill. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 hours in advance.)
  • In another small saucepan, bring 3 tablespoons water to a boil and reduce by half. Quickly whisk in the butter, piece by piece over moderately high heat. The butter will appear foamy. It must not turn to oil. When all the butter has been added, bring to a fast boil, whisking constantly, let it boil for 5 seconds, and immediately pour into a small bowl. Stir in the pureed asparagus peels and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. A pinch of sugar will intensify the flavor and counteract any bitterness. The sauce can stand for about 15 minutes. Reheat very gently.
  • To cook the asparagus, bring 1½ inches of salted water to a boil in a large, deep skillet. Slip in the bundles of asparagus and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the asparagus are just cooked. To test if they are done, lift out one bunch with a pair of tongs; if the ends fall slightly limp, they are ready. Drain on a clean kitchen towel and remove the strings. Serve the asparagus with the asparagus sauce.
  • To ensure success when making the sauce, be sure to use AA quality or low water content butter, such as Plugra.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 53 Starter 95 2 bunches of fat, fresh green asparagus, about 30 to 36 spears

    ]]>     8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (see Note below)

    ]]>     305 Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     43 Juice of ½ lemon

    ]]>     298 Pinch of sugar

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