Green and White Asparagus With Salmon and Mousseline Sauce
Regis Crepy, the chef-restaurateur behind Bury St Edmunds’ exciting new destination for Mediterranean-inspired small plates, Blue Fig, shares a recipe that’s perfect for the spring
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
• 160g piece of smoked salmon cut into cubes
• 30ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 400g green asparagus, trimmed
• 400g white asparagus, trimmed
• Small sprigs of dill or chervil to garnish
For the mousseline sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper
• 200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 50ml double cream, lightly whipped
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
• Put the smoked salmon cubes in a bowl and toss them in the olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped dill and turn the cubes of salmon in this marinade. Cover and place in refrigerator until needed.
• Drop the green asparagus stems into a large pan of lightly salted boiling water and blanch for a few minutes, depending on the thickness of the stems. As soon as they are tender but still retain bite, drain and refresh them in cold water with ice cubes to fix the colour. Repeat in the same way with the white asparagus stems, although they will take slightly longer to cook.
• Make the mousseline sauce: put the water, egg yolks and seasoning in a medium-sized heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk for 30 seconds or until pale yellow and frothy. Continue whisking for two to three minutes, until the mixture holds
a trail when you lift out the whisk.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the warm melted butter, a little at a time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Still whisking, add the remaining butter in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the lemon juice and cool slightly before gently folding in the whipped cream. Adjust the seasoning to taste and keep warm.
• Arrange the white and green asparagus in an attractive way, overlapping and criss-crossing each other. Drop some spots of mousseline sauce onto different areas of the plate to add colour and garnish with dill or chervil. Serve the remaining sauce separately.
Bon appétit!