Asparagus with Yolk Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh asparagus
• 1 egg for each 6 pieces of asparagus
• 1 tsp lemon juice per egg
• dash of cayenne powder per egg

STEP BY STEP

1. Steam asparagus until finished OR
   – Put on baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees
2. While asparagus cooks, separate egg yolks
3. Bring water up to boiling then turn down heat to low
4. Place large metal bowl over water on pot creating a double boiler
5. Put lemon juice and cayenne into double boiler
6. Add yolk to double boiler and whisk until it starts to thicken
7. Plate asparagus
   Drizzle yolk mixture across asparagus

SPECIAL STEPS

• When buying asparagus choose bunches of uniform sized spears.
• I prefer pencil-slim ones because they don’t need peeling, and cook faster and more evenly than thick stalks.
• Tips should be tightly closed and the entire stalk should look plump and fresh.
• Trim away tough ends by bending one stalk to find the natural break point. Then line it up with the rest and cut.
• One last tip: for the best appearance, don’t put the yolk sauce over top until just before serving.