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grilled white asparagus with bearnaise sauce on a plate
Grilled White Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce
Celebrate the “spargelzeit” season and grill up our white asparagus with a smoky classic bearnaise sauce, the perfect accompaniment for any mid-week meal!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French, German
Servings 8
Calories 142 kcal

Ingredients
  

White Asparagus

  • 2 bunches white asparagus approximately 30 spears
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp salt 1 tsp for water, 1/2 tsp for salting the asparagus
  • ground pepper

Bearnaise Sauce

  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cold water
  • 2 egg yolks room temperature
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted and clarified
  • 2 tbsp tarragon finely chopped
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions
 

Cut the Vegetables
  • Mince the shallots using the ciseler technique. View the instruction video above in the Need-to-Know section.
  • Clean the asparagus.
  • Snap off or trim the woody ends from each asparagus spear.
  • Use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife to peel the ends of each asparagus spear.
  • Finely chop the tarragon leaves.
Melt and Clarify the Butter
  • Place a saucepan on the stovetop at medium-low heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt.
  • Turn the stovetop down to low heat if it begins to bubble.
  • To clarify the butter, skim the white foam off the top of the pot with a large serving spoon to remove the lactose or milk solids.
  • Set aside.
Sauté Shallots and Reduce Wine
  • Place another saucepan on the stovetop at medium heat.
  • Add white wine, vinegar, minced shallots, and tarragon.
  • Bring the liquid to a simmer and sauté occasionally. Allow the liquid to reduce to 1 tsp in volume.
  • Turn off the heat.
Whisk in the Egg Yolks, Water, and Spices
  • Whisk in two fresh, room temperature egg yolks and cold water.
  • Add salt and smoked paprika.
  • Whisk well.
Slowly Whisk in Clarified Butter
  • Place the saucepan back onto the stovetop at low heat.
  • Slowly add clarified butter while whisking the sauce vigorously.
Finish the Bearnaise Sauce
  • Once the butter is added, remove the saucepan from the heat and continue whisking.
  • Whisk the sauce until it doubles in volume and generously coats the back of a spoon. This process can take between 10 and 15 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce into a room temperature bowl and allow it to cool.
Boil the Asparagus in Generously Salted Water
  • Add the asparagus to a saucepan and cover the asparagus with water.
  • Add 1 tsp salt.
  • Place the saucepan back onto the stovetop at high heat.
  • Once the asparagus begins to boil, boil them for 1 min and 30 seconds until fork tender.
  • Drain the water and cover the asparagus with cold water. Drain.
Grill the Asparagus
  • Toss cooked asparagus in olive oil, ground salt, and pepper.
  • Place a griddle cast iron skillet onto the stovetop at high heat. Brush the skillet with high-heat oil.
  • Add the cooked asparagus to the hot griddle cast iron skillet and cook for 3 minutes on either side. If you do not have a griddle cast iron skillet, you may use the barbeque instead.
Let’s Plate
  • Place cooked asparagus onto a plate.
  • Drizzle bearnaise sauce onto asparagus spears.
  • Garnish with salt and pepper to taste and extra tarragon leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 225mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 578IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
Keyword authentic, classic, cooking basics, Easy, simple
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