Tempura asparagus with wasabi hollandaise

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg asparagus, fresh, white or green or mixed, depending on your preferences
• 125 g flour (tempura flour)
• 175 ml mineral water, ice-cold
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 500 ml sunflower oil or peanut oil for frying
• 100 g butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp sake
• 1 tsp, heaped wasabi paste
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of spice mix (Togarashi – Japanese 7-spice powder) or cayenne pepper and some lemon zest

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

crispy side dish in the asparagus season

Buy asparagus spears of the same thickness, if possible. Peel the white asparagus, trim the tough ends from the green parts and 1 cm from the white parts. If the spears are very thick, halve them lengthwise. If you plan to eat with chopsticks, you’ll need to cut the spears into at least thirds. For the hollandaise, melt the butter and strain it, leaving behind the whey. Whisk the egg yolks and sake in a double boiler, then slowly add the clarified butter in a thin stream. Then mix in the wasabi paste and season with spices, then carefully keep warm. Mix the tempura flour with mineral water, egg, and salt. Heat the oil to 180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, add a small cube of bread to the oil; it should brown in 15 seconds. This will ensure the temperature is right. Dip the asparagus spears in the batter in batches and fry until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Work quickly, or keep the prepared asparagus spears warm in the oven at around 100°C. Then divide them among plates and serve with the wasabi hollandaise sauce. Serve with chicken or salmon teriyaki.