Someone may disagree with me if he chooses to, but I’m pretty sure French sauces are the scariest thing in the cooking universe. they audible complex. they Look Hard. Their taste is delicious and therefore must be tough. This asparagus with brise sauce is a classic example. Simple ingredients, but amazing flavors.
Unless you’re going to a culinary school, it’s very difficult to get someone to do that explain How to make such a sauce correctly.
Since I made Bernays like three times (Bernays .1000), I will try to explain how I made it. I was really happy with how it came out and found myself tasting it and tasting it again not to change the flavors but just to eat from it as much as possible.
Then I dipped some roasted asparagus with the sauce and ate all of this , And let me tell you, this asparagus with brise is a good ingredient!
Roast the asparagus
Before we talk about the sauce, let’s talk about the vegetables. For this Asparagus Bernays recipe, I just simply roasted it with a little spice and seasoning. If you do not cook with asparagus much, the wisdom to clean it is to hold the larger tip in your hand and press it with your thumb. The asparagus will tear naturally where a hard part meets the soft part.
If you’re in a hurry, you can probably just cut the bottom 2 inches of all the asparagus and get closer. However, I like the Snap method.
After cleaning your asparagus and tearing, just toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Then toss them all on a baking sheet.
Bake these guys at 400 degrees Celsius for about 12 minutes until they are bright green, slightly soft, but still have crispiness. They do not need to be completely wet.
If you are good, it should take the same amount of time to roast the asparagus as you prepare the sauce, but if this is your first time, the sauce will take you longer. At least it took me longer …
Keep the asparagus hot in the oven (but turn off the heat) until the sauce is ready.
Preparation of the bronze sauce
If you have ever made hollandaise sauce for Benedict Eggs, it will look very familiar. It’s basically the same technique but it has a few more flavors, and most importantly tarragon.
Start the recipe by adding the vinegar, shallots, crushed pepper and 2 tablespoons of the tarragon to a small pot.
Traditionally, you have to use half vinegar and half white wine for this recipe, but I used all vinegar because that’s what I had. It was still delicious. Also, I’m not sure apple cider vinegar is the traditional choice, but whatever.
French chefs hate me now and I did not even start the sauce.
Put this pot on medium heat and let it simmer until it is reduced by half. All flavors will concentrate in a very tiny amount of liquid. There is a lot of taste here.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, water and salt and then strain the vinegar mixture into this liquid. Use a spatula to really squeeze the liquids from the shallots. However, you do not want to add the shallots to the sauce. It will taste too much in the shade.
From now on, it’s basically like hollandaise sauce! Melt the butter in the microwave (no need to lighten it) and beat the egg yolks into the vinegar / water mixture.
Then place the egg yolks on a double boiler (I just use a small pot with boiling water) and beat frantically. As the yolks heat up and combine with the water, they will start to froth and actually double in volume. When this happens, it’s time to start adding the melted butter. If by chance you have a thermometer for immediate reading, do not let the egg mixture rise above 150˚F otherwise the eggs will start to boil. I usually stop mine around 140˚F just to be on the safe side.
Note: Do not do other things during this process. It is very easy to overcook the eggs. If they are having difficulty because they are overheating, you actually need to start over.
When you start adding the butter, add it just a few drops at a time to get started.
While whipping in the drops of butter, the sauce should start to be smooth and silky. After a few rounds of butter drops, you can start whipping the butter in with a thin stream. Do not just throw it in, but pour it slowly while preying on the rage. If you’re quick, you can do this while the yolks are on the double boiler, but to be honest, I like to lower mine so I can just focus on whipping. It is important to return it for a short time to the heat source while whisking.
After all the butter has been absorbed, stir in fresh tarragon if desired. Even if you do not use the fresh tarragon, it will have a lot of tarragon flavor.
Your sauce is done!
It should be used immediately for asparagus Bernays or cover it with cling film over the sauce. It will stay fine for an hour or two, but will not stay much longer than that. I have heard that the sauce can be stored and heated, but I have never tried it and I have doubts that the sauce will be good on the second day.
However, you can freeze the sauce if you let it cool and seal it in a vacuum and then heat it slowly while whisking.
What can go wrong?
Three things in my opinion.
1) You overcook the eggs. You’re screwed. start over.
2) The sauce is too thick. This can happen if you do not have enough water in the sauce. When you whip the butter in, it will become very thick (think mayonnaise). If this happens, prey on a teaspoon of cold water and it should normalize.
3) The sauce is broken. If the butter separates and it looks coarse, do not worry. It will look like a disaster but can actually be saved. Simply whisk together fresh egg yolk and a tablespoon of water in a separate bowl. Then slowly whisk the broken sauce into the fresh yolk over the heat source. It should fit in perfectly. (It happens to me like 20% of the time when I make hollandaise and that’s how I fix it.)
A few times I made Bernays, I really thought it came out great. If I’m very critical, it might have been a bit on the thin side, but held up well and had great taste. It was Amazing With the asparagus.
Additional note: This Bernese recipe produces more than you will need for asparagus alone. Maybe make a steak for extra? It’s kind of a hard to half honest recipe, so I would just make a few more things that you can sprinkle in the sauce.
My recipe for roasted asparagus with Bernese sauce
Asparagus with Bernays
By Nick
- presenter:
- Serves 4-6
- Preparation time:
- Cooking time:
- Total time:
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Spicy roasted asparagus is covered in a classic homemade French brise sauce. This is the perfect spring addition!
Component
2 large bundles of asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Classic Bernese Sauce:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh, ground tarragon and divided into two
6 black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon ground shallots
4 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups butter without salt, melted
Instructions
Regarding asparagus:
1) Chop hard edges of asparagus and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
2) Place asparagus on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes until they are bright green, slightly crispy yet cooked. Keep warm until served.
For the Bernese sauce:
1) Combine vinegar, 2 tablespoons freshly ground tarragon, shallots and crushed peppercorns in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until mixture is reduced by half.
2) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together water, lemon juice and salt. Strain in the vinegar mixture and use a spatula to squeeze the liquid through the mesh strainer.
3) Prey on egg yolks into the mixture. Place the egg yolk mixture on a double boiler (I only use a small pan with boiling water). Whisk the egg yolks constantly as they heat up until the egg yolks double in volume and foam. Be careful not to cook the eggs!
4) After the egg yolks start frothing melted butter. Start with just a drop or two of butter and prey on it. Once the lotion starts to hold, you can whip in the rest of the butter in a steady stream. If it looks really thick at some point, prey in a teaspoon of cold water.
After preparing the sauce, serve immediately or store the sauce with a little plastic wrap clinging to the surface for up to an hour or two.
Serve asparagus with the Bernese sauce.
Is anyone a homemade Bernese fan or an expert? Leave a comment!
What to serve with Asparagus Bernays
This recipe was prepared to be served alongside a good brunch dish like maybe this sheet quiche or my Florentine quiche. It’s also a nice addition to a hearty grilled meal like this grilled chile steak or this su-vidi steak. I can see it’s really great with these Twice baked potatoes for breakfast From Spoon Fork Bacon too!
