Easy Hollandaise Sauce

The sauce is bubbly looking in the photograph as it just came out of the blender! But the taste is divine, so no worries.

I've made hollandaise sauce before and it seemed to take FOR EVER. Heeding all the warnings about how the sauce could break I spent so much time whisking and removing from heat, back on the heat and constant whisking! I am so glad I spotted this method from Ina Garten on the Food Network. Recipe is therefore slightly adapted from Ina Garten.

I added in some fresh dill to the blender. Not too much, maybe 2 teaspoons because I think dill and hollandaise go well together.

And roasting the asparagus - wonderful flavor and texture. If you use salted butter like I did (did not have unsalted available), be sure to cut back on the salt.

Here are the list of ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• Good olive oil

And her directions for roasting the asparagus and making the sauce:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
3. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cayenne in the jar of a blender. Blend for 15 seconds.With the blender running, slowly pour the hot butter into the blender and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is thick. (You can leave it in the blender at room temperature for up to 1 hour. If it is made in advance, add 1 tablespoon hot tap water and blend for a few seconds before serving.)

Now for the asparagus - which you could steam cook if you did not want to roast them in the oven or grill them. Pick the best method for you.

• Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them.
• Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.Roast the asparagus for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
• Pour the hollandaise sauce over the warm asparagus and serve.