Asparagus sauce is prepared using asparagus tips or leftover asparagus . This term is also used to refer to dipping sauces served with asparagus. This sauce is served hot or cold depending on the taste preferences of the individual. Asparagus sauce can be teamed with most of the grilled vegetable dishes.
Ingredients and Preparation
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Ingredients – Asparagus, onions, garlic cloves, salt, freshly ground black pepper, mace and single cream are used in the preparation of this sauce.
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Method of Preparation – Garlic and onion is softened and cooked with asparagus, and other seasoning ingredients like salt, pepper and mace. The mixture is cooked until it becomes thick and the cream is added towards the end of cooking.
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Serving – This sauce is reheated at the time of serving. It can be teamed with baked, grilled, braised, and poached salmon, pasta or chicken.
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Flavoring – Taste of the sauce can be enriched by the addition of extra garlic and parsley and it can be topped with sour cream and extra chives.
Nutritive Value of Sauce
Each serving of asparagus sauce (481 grams) delivers 270.8 calories with 211 calories of fat, 79.2 mg of cholesterol and 5.8 grams of protein.
Asparagus Sauce Recipe Variations
Following are the variations of sauce which differ from the original asparagus sauce due to its preparatory methods and choice of ingredients.
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Asparagus – Lemon Sauce – This sauce is served over pasta or noodles. It is prepared using ingredients like asparagus (tough ends are trimmed), finely grated lemon zest, and extra-virgin olive oil. Asparagus stems are cooked and then processed with other ingredients in a food processor.
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Asparagus Cream Sauce - This sauce is served over cooked tortellini. It is prepared using ingredients like fresh asparagus, sweet onion, garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, butter, half-and-half, finely shredded Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Vegetables are roasted and cooked with butter and half -and half before pureeing in immersion blender . The sauce is served after flavoring with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Asparagus Dipping Sauces
Following sauces are served with asparagus or asparagus based dishes.
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Hollandaise Sauce – This is a classic French sauce which is prepared using ingredients like egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt, and melted butter. The ingredients are blended together in a food processor and seasoned with salt and pepper.
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Maltaise Sauce – This sauce is prepared using the same ingredients as the Hollandaise sauce only the water is replaced with orange juice. Additional orange juice and grated orange rind is added to the sauce for extra flavor.
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Mousseline – This is a rich variation of Hollandaise sauce, which is prepared by integrating thick cream into the sauce.