Ingredients
Scale
- 1 handful of in-season asparagus, tough, woody end parts removed and bottom section lightly peeled
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 stick (250g) of unsalted butter
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Set your sous vide machine to 82c/180f and preheat the water bath.
- Start by preparing the hollandaise sauce. In a small pot add the butter and melt on a low heat.
- Bring a separate pot of water (2-3 inches of water) to a gentle simmer and place a glass bowl on top. Add your egg yolks and lemon juice and whisk constantly. After a minute or so, the mixture should thicken. You should continue to whisk until the whisk leaves traces. Feel free to use your finger to check the temperature of the mixture – it should never get hot.
- Once the mixture is nicely thick (think custard consistency) slowly stream the melted butter into the mixture whilst whisking constantly. You can do this whilst the bowl is still on the pot of water.
- Once all the butter is mixed in you should have a thick, runny sauce. If you want this consistency then season and reserve. If you want it thicker (this is how I like it – almost like a mayonnaise) then continue to whisk the hollandaise in the bowl over the simmering water. This will take a few minutes but it’ll eventually thicken up.*
- When you’re ready to eat, vacuum seal the asparagus with a knob of butter. Note: Do not add salt yet! This will just remove the bright green flavour of the asparagus.
- Place the asparagus into the water bath and cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove the asparagus from the bag and season with Maldon sea salt. Serve immediately with a dollop of warm hollandaise sauce.
Notes
This recipe makes enough hollandaise for at least 6 servings. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat put the hollandaise into a double boiler and whisk constantly. The sauce will be split, simply add a tablespoon of cold water to help re-emulsify the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Starters
- Cuisine: French