Oh, we love a proper hollandaise sauce, but you need brilliant eggs like ours, to make the real thing. It’s important to take your time and don’t let the mixture get too hot, or it may split or scramble. If you can’t find baby leeks, you can use nice chunky spring onions. They work in just the same way and give you that wonderful allium flavour.
Preparation/cook time 30 minutes | Serves 2
8 -10 spears of asparagus
8 baby leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hollandaise sauce
150g organic unsalted butter, melted
3 Stonegate Estate Organic egg yolks
1 tablespoon cider or tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon water
A good pinch of salt
If you plan to cook your asparagus and leeks over a barbecue, make sure the fire is nice and hot before you start cooking. Alternatively, you can cook the asparagus for a similar amount of time in a hot grill pan.
It’s a good idea to kick things off by making the hollandaise. Put the egg yolks, cider or tarragon vinegar, salt and water in a metal or glass bowl, whisk well, then set it over a pan of just simmering water (or set it directly over the heat of the fire). Whisk the mixture continuously, until it is light and airy – this might take about a couple of minutes.
Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the melted butter a little at a time, until it’s all combined and you have a lovely smooth rich hollandaise. Finish with a twist of freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
Snap the woody base from each asparagus spear, then place the asparagus on a plate. Trim and rinse the leeks and arrange these next to the asparagus. Trickle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Make sure your barbecue is nice and hot. Place the asparagus and leeks on the grill. Cook, turning regularly, for 6-8 minutes, or as long as it takes to char the spears nicely and soften the leeks. Don’t worry if the leeks blacken, that’s part of plan. Remove each asparagus spear or leek as it’s ready. Divide the asparagus and leeks between two plates. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and serve.
