People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.
02/01/2008
White asparagus with mousseline sauce (Asperges blanches, sauce mousseline)
Ingredients:
To serve 4:
20 top-notch white asparagus*
1 large shallot, minced (a generous 1/4 c. minced)**
1/2 c. white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. sea salt
1 c.heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Flaked sea salt (fleur de sel) and chopped chervil for garnish
*White asparagus has been blanched and has a more delicate flavor than green, whose taste would overwhelm the mousseline in this dish.
**Make sure you are using true shallots, which are elongated in form and tinged purply-pink. Real shallots are grown from sets and are naturally more expensive. Seed-grown "shallots" are do not have the flavor of true shallots. You can recognize these false shallots by their round form and lack of pinkness.
Place the minced shallot and vinegar in a very small stainless or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until only a bit more than a tablespoon of vinegar remains. The vinegar should turn pink from the shallots. Set aside to cool.
Thinly peel the bottom 3/4 of the asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler, bearing down near the base of the stems to make the bottom nearly equal in diameter with the tops for more equal cooking. Trim the ends. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; plunge in the asparagus, cover partly and cook until just tender but not limp. A knife point will easily enter, but the asparagus still holds its form. Drain and allow to cool.
Just before serving, whip the cream until softly thick. Sprinkle in the sugar and salt and continue whipping until fairly stiff. Pour in the shallot reduction through a strainer, pressing down on the shallots and then discarding them. Whip for another 30 seconds.
Distribute the asparagus in bundles on pretty plates. Top with the mousseline. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, a grinding of black pepper, and the chopped chervil. Serve immediately with a glass of champagne or French dry muscat.
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