Asparagus Maltaise Recipes

MALTAISE SAUCE FOR ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor put the egg yolks, the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and the white pepper and with the motor running add the butter in a stream. Add the zest and the orange juice and blend the mixture well. Force the mixture through a fine sieve set over a small bowl and keep it warm, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper, set in a pan of warm water. Serve the sauce over asparagus.

ASPARAGUS IN CREAMY ORANGE MALTAISE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Wash the asparagus and snap off the ends to remove the tough part of the stalks. Tie the asparagus into bundles of 6-7 stalks and boil them for 10-15 minutes standing upright in a pan of hot water. Drain well.
• To make the sauce, in a small metal bowl or pot beat the butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper and orange rind together. Place over a larger pan of hot water and whisk in the orange and lemon juice cooking over a gentle heat while adding the butter a LITTLE at a time, so that it thickens, don't rush this, becuase if the previous amount of butter has not emulsified before the next lot is added, the sauce will split.
• Once it begins to thicken, remove from the heat and continue beating for a full minute, then stir in the cream.
• Mix together well, the orange juice should have turned the sauce a soft shade of pink. Pour the sauce into a sauce boat and serve with the bundles of asparagus immediately.
• Decorate the asparagus bundles with orange twists.

ASPARAGUS WITH MALTAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• While the asparagus is steaming, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine egg yolks and whisk vigorously until they get thick, about 1 minute. While whisking, add lemon and orange juice with the zest.
• Move saucepan over medium heat and keep moving it off the heat, whisking constantly. The trick here is to not shock the yolks and gradually heat them up.
• When the sauce gets thick, move the saucepan away from the heat and start adding the melted butter by pouring a few drops at first (don't shock the yolks), whisking continuously. Gradually add more until the sauce is nice and smooth (never stop whisking).
• Spoon over steamed asparagus, if not needed yet, move to the back burner, keeping warm on very low temperature. Makes 1 ¼ cups.

MALTAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; slowly bring to a boil, skimming froth from surface. Carefully pour melted butter into a small bowl, holding back the milky sediment in the bottom of the pan. The clarified butter should be the color of light olive oil; let cool to room temperature.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat; prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Using a paring knife, remove zest from oranges in large strips, reserving oranges. Add zest to boiling water; cook until softened, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and very finely chop; set aside.
• Squeeze juice from oranges into a small saucepan. Place saucepan over low heat and cook until juice is reduced by one third. Add zest to saucepan and remove from heat; set aside to cool.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix vinegar with 1/4 cup cold water and crushed peppercorns. Place over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by one third; remove from heat and let cool completely. Add egg yolks to cooled reduction and whisk to combine.
• Place saucepan on a heat diffuser over very low heat; whisk, making sure the whisk comes in contact with the bottom of the pan. Gradually increase heat, whisking so the sauce emulsifies progressively and becomes smooth and creamy, 8 to 10 minutes; do not let the temperature of the sauce rise above 150 degrees.
• Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in clarified butter in a slow, steady stream; season with salt. Stir in lemon and orange juice mixture. Line a chinois or fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth; strain mixture and discard solids. Use sauce immediately.

PARMESAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS WITH SAUCE MALTAISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Butter large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons butter. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in small saucepan and set aside. Whisk eggs and mustard in bowl to blend. Mix panko, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then panko mixture, coating generously. Place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle reserved melted butter over chicken. Bake chicken until browned and cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes.
• Garnish chicken with watercress; serve with Asparagus with Sauce Maltaise.
• *Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.