Roasted Asparagus Hollandaise Sauce (Printable)

Tender roasted asparagus paired with rich Hollandaise sauce for an elegant spring side dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

→ Seasonings

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Hollandaise Sauce

05 - 3 large egg yolks
06 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm
08 - 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
09 - Pinch of cayenne pepper
10 - Salt, to taste

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Roast the asparagus for 12 to 15 minutes until tender and lightly browned, shaking the pan halfway through cooking.
04 - Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (double boiler) until slightly thickened.
05 - Gradually whisk in warm melted butter until the sauce is thick and glossy. Stir in Dijon mustard if using, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Remove from heat immediately.
06 - Arrange roasted asparagus on a serving platter and spoon Hollandaise sauce generously over top. Serve immediately.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • Hollandaise feels fancy but once you get the rhythm, it becomes your secret weapon for turning simple vegetables into something restaurant-worthy.
  • The contrast between charred asparagus spears and silky sauce somehow tastes both indulgent and impossibly light.
  • It's genuinely faster than you'd think—thirty minutes from fridge to table, and most of that is roasting time while you're free to do other things.
02 -
  • If your Hollandaise breaks (looks grainy or separated), whisk a teaspoon of cold water into a fresh bowl, then slowly whisk in the broken sauce—it often comes back together, and this rescue has saved me more times than I can count.
  • The double boiler trick with barely simmering water isn't theatrical; it's essential because direct heat scrambles eggs instantly, and learning this the hard way teaches a lesson you never forget.
  • Room temperature ingredients are worth the five minutes it takes—cold eggs and hot butter are fundamentally incompatible, and no amount of whisking willpower can fix that.
03 -
  • Make the Hollandaise just before serving, or if you must hold it, keep the bowl over warm (not hot) water and whisk in a teaspoon of warm water every few minutes to keep it loose and glossy.
  • If you're nervous about the double boiler, use a metal bowl set directly over a saucepan—it's easier to monitor and control than you'd expect, and the learning curve is gentler than you think.

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