Asparagus With Champagne Butter Sauce

Asparagus with Champagne Butter Sauce

I always feel immense joy when asparagus comes into season. A sure sign that spring has arrived. This butter is a take on the classic beurre blanc but rather than using white wine, it is enriched with champagne. It goes down spectacularly at a dinner party and is a very good excuse to open a bottle of bubbles too.  Do not worry about pouring away your best fizz for the sake of a vegetable. You only need about half a glass for this. The result is a deliciously buttery, glossy sauce that is poured over a heap of perky green asparagus. It is delightful.

| Serves 4 |

 Ingredients

• 3 bunches asparagus

• 1 shallot, finely sliced

• 100ml of champagne

• 150g of butter, at room temperature, chopped into pieces

Method

• Trim any woody ends of the asparagus (I find the best way to do this is to snap them where they feel like they naturally want to snap). Get a large saucepan of water onto the boil ready for the asparagus whilst you make the butter sauce.

• Add the shallots and champagne to a medium sized saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 mins until the shallots are softened.

• Take the pan off the heat momentarily and beat in a little butter using a wooden spoon, then return to a low heat and beat in the remaining butter slowly, a little at a time. Keep stirring as you do to thicken the butter.

• It is ready when the butter becomes creamy and begins to foam slightly.

• Season the sauce to taste, then run the sauce through a sieve into a clean saucepan placed over a  gentle heat to keep it warm.

• Blanch the asparagus in the saucepan with boiling water. They should be cooked but retain a little crunch. (About 2 mins) Keep an eye on them as you do not want them to overcook. Once cooked, drain immediately.

• Arrange the asparagus onto a platter and pour over the champagne butter sauce.

Serve this as a side to this crispy seabass.