Like a Virgin

Ingredients

• 1 kgWhite asparagus
• 220 gButter
• 3 piecesEgg yolks
• 500 gBoiled salted potatoes
• 1 tbspLemon juice
• 1 tspSugar
• 1 tspSalt
• 1 pinchWhite pepper

Preparation

1. 1First, thoroughly peel the asparagus and generously trim off the woody ends.
2. 2In a sufficiently large pot, bring water to a boil with salt, sugar, and one tablespoon of butter, and cook the asparagus in it for about 12 to 15 minutes until tender-crisp.
3. 3In parallel, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat and carefully skim off the milk solids from the surface with a spoon.
4. 4Whisk the egg yolks together with one tablespoon of water in a metal bowl over a hot, but not boiling, water bath until light and frothy.
5. 5Stir the warm, clarified butter into the egg mixture, first drop by drop and then in a very thin stream, whisking constantly.
6. 6Carefully season the Hollandaise sauce with lemon juice, salt, and a pinch of white pepper until a perfectly balanced flavor is achieved.
7. 7Drain the cooked asparagus well and arrange on preheated plates along with the separately cooked salted potatoes.
8. 8Pour the fresh Hollandaise sauce directly over the warm asparagus and serve the dish without delay.