KEY POINTS:
Asparagus taste great with lashings of hollandaise sauce and this easy-to-follow recipe shows you how to make your own
Makes 12
12 slices white sandwich bread
Softened butter for spreading
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
200g butter
3 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs water
3 egg yolks
Juice of a lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. To make the hollandaise melt the butter. Put the vinegar and water in a small saucepan and reduce to 1 Tbs of liquid. Transfer this liquid to a small bowl that fits over a small saucepan half-filled with hot water.
2. Add the egg yolks to the bowl and whisk well over a moderate heat until thick, then whisk in the butter a little at a time until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the lemon juice at the end and season.
3. Preheat oven to 200C. Cut the crusts off the bread and roll each slice with a rolling pin to make the bread thinner.
4. Butter each slice and lay one asparagus spear on each, roll up firmly and spread a little more butter on the outside. Lay the rolls closely together in an oven dish and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden and the asparagus is tender inside. Serve hot, drizzled with hollandaise.
