Julia Child's Blender Hollandaise

Yield:4-6 servings 

Ingredients

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup white wine

2 tbsp minced shallots

Few springs parsley

1 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided

5 peppercorns

3 large egg yolks

1 cup unsalted butter

In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, white wine, shallots, parsley, 1/4 tsp salt and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to a few tablespoons. Remove from heat, strain through a fine mesh strainer and add to blender to cool slightly.

In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until the foam subsides.

Add the egg yolks and 1 tsp of salt to the cooled reduction in the blender and blend for 30 seconds. With the blender running, slowly pour in the hot butter through the opening at the top.

If Hollandaise is very thick, blend in 1 tbsp of hot water. Serve immediately. 

Sauce can be made up to 1 hour ahead. Before serving, blend in 1 tbsp of very hot water and blend again for few seconds. 

Roasted Asparagus

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

16-20 spears of asparagus (4-5 per person depending on size), ends trimmed

Olive oil

1 tsp lemon zest, optional

1 tsp flaked sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a medium bowl, toss asparagus with a little olive oil (enough to coat the spears) and lemon zest.

Season with pepper and flaked sea salt. Toss to coat evenly.

Place asparagus on a parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 5-6 minutes until spears are tender-crisp when pierced with a knife.