Asparagus With Cornichon Beurre Blanc Recipes

ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the woody ends of the asparagus spears trimming the spears to the same length.
• Bundle 3 asparagus stalks together and wrap each grouping with one slice of prosciutto, leaving the tips exposed. Drizzle the bundles with olive oil.
• Roast the bundles for 10 minutes, or until the asparagus ends and the prosciutto slices are crisp.
• Drizzle each prosciutto-wrapped asparagus bundle with the prepared beurre blanc and serve.
• Bring the shallots, vinegar, and wine to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in a few tablespoons butter. Continue to whisk and add a few pieces at a time of the remaining butter. Wait until each addition is incorporated before adding more butter. The sauce should remain warm, but never hot or the sauce will break.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and season with salt, and pepper, to taste. If desired, strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the shallot. Discard the shallot. Serve the sauce immediately.
• Beurre Rouge: Replace the white wine in the original recipe with red wine and the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.
• Beurre Citron: Replace the vinegar and wine in the original recipe with 1/4 cup citrus (lemon, lime, and/or orange) juice and add 1 teaspoon citrus zest.
• Lime-Ginger: Replace the vinegar in the original recipe with an equal amount of lime juice and add 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger.
• Saffron: Add a pinch saffron threads to the reduction.

ASPARAGUS AU BEURRE

Steps:

• Steam the asparagus for about 5 minutes, until tender. Toss with butter and salt.

MORELS AND ASPARAGUS IN BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Put the morels in a dish, cover with boiling water and allow to soak for an hour. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, then pat the morels dry and spread on paper towels.
• Boil the soaking liquid down in a small saucepan until it is reduced to two tablespoons. Set aside.
• Snap ends off asparagus and slant-cut in inch-and-a-half lengths.
• Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with salt and stir-fry about four minutes. Add the drained morels and stir-fry another four minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.
• Add the vinegar and wine to the mushroom liquid and cook for one minute. Begin to whisk in the remaining butter, about a tablespoon at a time over low heat, until a thickened, creamy sauce results. Season with pepper.
• Divide the asparagus and morels among four plates, spoon some of the sauce over each, dust with chervil and serve.

SOLE-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS WITH TANGERINE BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Prepare fish:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Brush a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with some of melted butter, then sprinkle shallot and zest in pan.
• Trim asparagus to about 7 inches long, then peel spears starting from 2 inches below tip of each.
• Arrange fish fillets, skinned sides up, on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Lay 5 or 6 asparagus perpendicularly across 1 fillet and wrap fish around them to make a bundle. Repeat with remaining fillets and asparagus. Transfer bundles, seam sides down, to roasting pan and brush fish with remaining melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, then add water to pan. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake until fish is just cooked through and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 20 minutes.
• Make beurre blanc while fish bakes:
• Boil tangerine juice with shallot in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then whisk in 1 tablespoon butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, adding each piece before previous one has completely melted, and lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture. Remove from heat and stir in salt, cayenne, and lemon juice.
• Transfer fish with a slotted spatula to a platter and reserve pan juices. Cover fish with foil. Discard zest, then pour pan juices into a 10-inch skillet and boil over moderately high heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk into beurre blanc.
• Blot any liquid accumulated on platter with paper towels, then spoon sauce over fish.

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, and add asparagus; boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness).
• Remove with tongs, or drain in a colander, and immediately transfer to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Drain; refrigerate until completely chilled.