Asparagus & hollandaise – a marriage made in heaven
The perfect summer roast, with locally picked seasonal asparagus, radishes, tender stem broccoli accompanied with a tangy, herb-infused hollandaise sauce.
Asparagus & Radish Roast with Herby Hollandaise
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Kaylie Kist
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: British
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- For The Roast
- 500g baby new potatoes
- 300g fresh asparagus
- 250g tender stem broccoli
- 200g breakfast radishes, sliced in halves
- Olive oil
- For the Hollandaise
- 110g unsalted butter cut into cubes an kept refrigerated
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 medium free-range eggs
- 6 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 mace blades
- 1 handful of chopped chives & mint
- A squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- For the Roast
- Heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
- Put the potatoes in a pan and boil for 7-8 minutes until not quite tender.
- Drain, allow to steam dry for a couple of minutes, then beat them up a bit with a fork.
- Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, drizzle over the olive oil and toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper, then roast for 30-40 minutes until crisp, tossing occasionally so they crisp up evenly.
- Halfway into the potatoes’ roasting time, make the hollandaise.
- For the Hollandaise
- Put the vinegar, shallots, mace blades into a saucepan with 6 tbsp water and bring to a rolling boil.
- Keep simmering until the mix has reduced to 2 tbsp liquid, then strain the liquid into a ceramic or glass bowl.
- Allow to cool slightly, then set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl).
- Stir in the egg yolks along with a pinch of salt.
- Using a whisk, beat the mixture together until well combined and frothy.
- Then one by one start adding cubes of the butter, straight from the fridge. Whisk until melted before adding the next one.
- The mixture should start to thicken up. If it stays runny, keep whisking for a while before adding the next piece. If the mixture starts to develop a greasy sheen on top, add a small splash of cold water and whisk again.
- Once all the butter has been added, you should have a smooth sauce.
- Turn off the heat, season to taste with salt, pepper & a squeeze of lemon juice
- It should have a slightly acidic taste cutting through the buttery richness.
- Cover with a piece of cling film touching the surface of the sauce, and leave the bowl sitting on top of the water (heat switched off) until ready to serve.
- Stir the chopped herbs through the warm hollandaise just before serving.
- Cook the asparagus spears, and broccoli in a steamer or pan of boiling water for 4-5 minutes until just tender (thin ones for 4 minutes, fatter ones for 5 minutes).
- Drain and remove from the steamer to dry.
- To serve
- Toss the asparagus, broccoli and radishes with the roast potatoes and season well. Tumble onto a large serving platter.
- Add other vegetables to the mix, roasted or raw as you see fit!
