Asparagus Sauce - 2 Ways

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 12 -18 asparagus spears
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)

Recipe

• 1 snap off asparagus tips. trim & discard the bottom inch of ea asparagus stalk. peel the stalks, cut into 2-in pieces & set aside.
• 2 heat butter in a 2 qt saucepan over med heat. add flour & stir well w/a wooden spoon. reduce heat to low & cook (stirring often) for about 5 min or till roux has a nutty aromoa, but do not let it brown.
• 3 whisk in the broth, stirring to make a smooth sauce. add asparagus stalks, bring to a gentle simmer & cook for 30 minutes.
• 4 puree using a blender, immersion blender or food proc. keep warm till ready to use.
• 5 cook asparagus tips in salted boiling water for 3-5 min or till barely tender. drain at once, rinse w/cold water to stop cooking process & set aside.
• 6 just b4 using sauce as desired, add asparagus tips & warm for 3 minutes.
• 7 note #1: if using canned asparagus, drain & reserve liquid. when the roux is ready for addition of the broth, combine the reserved asparagus liquid w/broth to a total volume of 2 cups & add to roux, using additional broth as needed to get desired consistency. this method will concentrate the asparagus flavor. if using it + the broth, you will not need added salt.
• 8 note #2: without the fresh asparagus tips, you will not have the visual & textural elements of using fresh asparagus, but the sauce will be rich & flavorful. i favor adding baby shrimp or crisp bacon pieces to get visual & textural elements.
• 9 to serve: use sauce to top cheese omelets, cheese grits, a cheese souffle, cheese quesadillas, a baked potato, etc.