Asparagus with Orange Mustard Sauce and Sauce Mousseline

Ingredients

• 2 pounds jumbo asparagus
• Orange Mustard Sauce, recipe follows
• Sauce Mousseline, recipe follows

Directions

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook asparagus until al dente (about 5 minutes, for regular asparagus and 3 minutes for pencil asparagus, from the time the water returns to a boil).

Remove asparagus from the pot and refresh in ice water to stop the cooking process. Chill until needed.

Serve with both cold Orange Mustard Sauce and hot Sauce Mousseline.

Orange Mustard Sauce:

• 3 cups fresh orange juice, strained
• 1/4 cup grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, reduce the orange juice until only 1/2 cup remains. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, over a bowl of ice. Stir in mustard, salt, and pepper.

Add whipped cream and stir until well blended. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Sauce Mousseline:

• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, clarified
• 1/2 cup whipped cream

In a heat resistant mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Whip over hot, not boiling, water until thick and creamy. Slowly whisk in the butter, a few drops at a time, until the mixture begins to emulsify. In a slow stream, whisk in the remaining butter until it is completely incorporated. Correct seasoning, to taste. Fold in the whipped cream and keep warm until needed.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen" Houghton Mifflin, 1981