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Asparagus like Green Peas (page 2 of 2)Home >> Recipes
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Remove the the asparagus 'peas' to a sieve, wash and discard as much of the pieces of skin as you can.
Transfer to a pot...
... and blanch for a few minutes in salted water.
Remove, drain, and briefly cover in cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the asparagus' color.
Meanwhile, snip the savory.
Prepare the sauce by pouring the cream into a bowl...
... then add an egg yolk...
... and some of the savory.
Whisk the yolk in ...
... until you have a smooth mixture.
Ready for the showdown?
Melt a tablespoon butter in a large saucepan.
Add the asparagus 'peas'...
... then the cloves ...
... and some more savory.
A drop of vegetable stock, or plain hot water or even some of the asparaguses' cooking water.
Mix well and when the asparagus are just about done, reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Add the cream liaison. If you are worried that this might become a dangerous liaison given the raw egg yolk, calm down as we will now warm it up.
Toss, and gradually increase the heat until the sauce thickens as the egg coagulates and the cream's water content evaporates.
The dish will be ready when you can leave a neat trace in the sauce using a paddle. This means the sauce has thickened enough. French chefs say 'la sauce nappe' or 'elle est cuite à la nappe', if that's any help.
Serve immediately. Variations: I found several recipes in 19th century cookbooks for pigeons on asparagus like peas, probably a substitute for the more chic pigeons on green peas. Some recipes omit the egg yolk, other add a pinch of sugar. 141756 views Bookmark with:Did you like this article? Leave me a comment or see my most popular articles. Related Articles
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27 Comments
- #1
- Comment by Ben
Hi François, you mention 'savory' as the herb, but I am looking on the internet and various herb directories but cannot find this listed? Is there another name that it may go by?Thanks
- #2
- Answered by fx
Ben, you must use satureja hortensis, or if you can't find it, its rougher country cousin, satureja montana. If you can't find it at your grocer's (I was surprised to find myself!), then you can certainly order online a little plant to grow in a pot.- #3
- Comment by Lori
FYI.In the USA, Satureja hortensis is called summer savory and satureja montana, winter savory. It is not a common herb for the grocery store. I believe I have some growing in my yard. I am going to go check! Thank you for this recipe.
- #4
- Comment by Vicki
OK, I'm commenting again about the shiny things - do you like your Porsche knife? I'm in the market for a new chef's knife - I'm intrigued by the Chroma, but it looks like something you'd throw, rather than slice with!- #5
- Answered by fx
Lori, thanks for getting the US name for savory, if you can find it, satureja hortensis has a more delicate taste better suited to this dish. Good luck!- #6
- Answered by fx
Vicki, I just love my Porsche knife, but it's really more about design and durability than anything else. Most cooks use knives with molded plastic handles, they don't look fancy and cost much less. But if you're in the market for a hot-looking, sturdy, sharp knife that has been endorsed by well-funded professional chefs, you can't get wrong with a Porsche. I hope this helps!- #7
- Comment by constantins
UHT cream! Sacrilege!- #8
- Answered by fx
Constantins, I'll buy some artisan creme next time!- #9
- Comment by Stahlregen
fx, it's always fun to see you dig up one of these ancient recipes. Sort of reminds me of the time in 6th grade when we went to the archeological state museum where we had a Roman cooking course... I think I'll need to do some digging at home to see if I still find those recipes somewhere. As for this one, am I correct in assuming it could also be prepared as "actual green peas like green peas"? ;)- #10
- Answered by fx
Stahlregen, I have a whole section in my library about historical recipes, but this one is quite edible for the modern palate compared to most ancient recipes, especially Romans. You could prepare it with green peas but the point, for me, is to try to imitate green peas when they could not be obtained off season, with another vegetable that is usually rather noble and never chopped in tiny bits. I think the recipe shows this in an intriguing way!- #11
- Comment by Deborah
Do you think that french tarragon would be a nice alternative to savory?- #12
- Answered by fx
Deborah, you're damn right that tarragon would be more than an acceptable substitute to savory, which is the old-fashioned cantakerous spinster in the herb garden. No surprise she did not become as famous as the delicate tarragon! But I wanted to share a piece of history and there would have been no point tweaking the recipe. And I found the savory!- #13
- Comment by mattomatic
healthy?? Cream is tasty...but it's not healthy...just tasty...- #14
- Answered by fx
Matt, if there is somewhere in the sky a table listing all the ingredients that are 'healthy', written in letters of fire, then I have not seen it. A dish is a combination of ingredients resulting in something more or less healthy. If you eat your asparagus with only a pinch of salt, this is quite healthy. But if you eat a pound of salt you'll be dead within hours. Adding a little cream to your asparagus does not make the dish unhealthy anymore than adding salt makes it poisonous.- #15
- Comment by Marlene
I'm always looking for unique combinations and am finding myself turning to old cookbooks and history in search of "new" flavor combinations. I thank you for this one!This is truly a delightful find. I myself in California can not find savory readily available either. I have been growing it for the last year and stock tons of dried as well. I usually pair it with stocks, meats, and as of late even vegetables. So this recipe is indeed very appealing. I shall love to see what else gets dug up!
- #16
- Answered by fx
Marlene, you are wise to grow your own savory, it's such fun to use home-grown herbs! I have dug up many other old recipes, but hey, they also need to be edible for present-day diners, that's a different story. Many of these old dishes are really heavy and strong-tasting, using all kinds of strange offal most people have never even heard mentioned once. But I have another asparagus recipe ready for publication, it will come next week, Asparagus à la Pompadour, no less!- #17
- Comment by aptronym
I have only just discovered your website and would just like to thank you for this amazing introduction to recipes from times past. The photos are stunning, and the informative way you talk about the dishes makes my mouth water!! :)- #18
- Answered by fx
Aptronym, thanks for visiting! I hope to include more historical recipes in the future.- #19
- Comment by Siobhan
Cant wait to try this recipe, my mouth is watering at just the thought!! Will let you know what my attempt turns up, thanks- #20
- Comment by Jaden, Steamy Kitchen
such a creative way to use aspgaragus! love it- #21
- Answered by fx
Jaden, thanks for visiting! I hope all is well on your side!- #22
- Comment by Jan
Another very interesting and beautifully photographed recipe!I have one question - what do you mean with the "cloves" you add? It looks like they are some kind of seeds... For now, I tried making it without and it was quite nice anyway.
- #24
- Comment by Jan
Thanks for your answer, I know what it is now - "kruidnagel" in Dutch (my first language). Nagel = Nail = Clou = Clove...- #25
- Comment by Jean-Claude
The French name for savory is sarriette.- #26
- Comment by Marlene
I love that this recipe is listed because I lost a history cookbook that had it in it and I was with despair as one of my favorite herbs is savory ... yes, I'm an unusual American loving and know herbs as such like lovage. I digress, thank you so much for posting this beloved recipe to me, simple, but lost to time for many. For those of you whom can't find (or don't like) lovage or savory or marjoram even, try fresh lemon thyme. All the herbs work wonderfully, but even better together!- #27
- Comment by Hussein
Great way of preparing asparagus. (Used tarragon instead savory though, which doesn't seem to be that easy to get here in London.) it was a great side to baked trout. Out of interest, what books (beide Dumas) did you see the variations on the dish? Thanks for the recipe.Tell me what you think!
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