A simple recipe for asparagus

Asparagus, one of the harbingers of spring, has started appearing in the shops. Asparagus is a cold weather crop, thought to come from the Mediterranean. Keith Smith (1995) tells me that frescos on Egyptian tombs dated to 3000BC depict asparagus 'bunched and tied for market just as it is today'.

I like to prepare asparagus simply to highlight its delicate flavour. This recipe is a Japanese style hollandaise sauce. It is a bit lighter than the classic hollandaise recipe because it omits the butter. It has a lovely, light texture with a tang that doesn't overpower the asparagus.

This recipe is from A Little Taste of Japan by Jane Lawson. It really is simple, so give it a try.

Sauce ingredients

3 egg yolks
60ml (1/4 cup) Japanese rice vinegar
1 tbls mirin
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbls dashi (I substituted 2 tbls salted water for dashi)

Method
Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk to combine well. Sit the pan over a low heat and stir the sauce constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat. Put the pan on top of a bowl of ice and stir until cold.

The asparagus only needs to be cooked for a couple of minutes. For a cold dish, plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Arranged steamed or lightly boiled asparagus on a plate then pour over the sauce.

And that's it! Simple.