- 1 country bread or baguette (about 8 ounces)
- Hazelnut or peanut oil
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 16 to 20 large asparagus spears (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 1 to 1 ½ cups water
- Salt
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) best quality sweet butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- A dash of salt
- A little cayenne pepper
- To make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the country bread or baguette into 1-inch cubes, and toss them with a little hazelnut or peanut oil to moisten the bread a little. Sprinkle on a little salt, spread the bread cubes onto a cookie sheet, and brown them for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool until lukewarm, and then put into a plastic bag and pound with a skillet or meat pounder to break the cubes into large, uneven crumbs. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom third of the asparagus. Do not peel too high on the stalks; they are not fibrous at this level, and you will remove the beautiful green color from the upper portion of the spears.
- To cook the asparagus: Pour 1 to 1½ cups of water into a large skillet, preferably stainless steel or nonstick. Add a dash of salt, and when the water boils, add the asparagus in one or two layers. Bring back to the boil, and cover, so the spears come back to a boil very quickly. After 4 or 5 minutes, the asparagus should be tender but still firm. Remove the lid, drain off the water, and spread the spears on a tray to cool if not serving right away, so they cool quickly and retain their beautiful color. I don’t like to rinse asparagus under cold water, as it waters down the taste. Yet, if I cook a large quantity, I cool it down briefly under cold water and drain while still warm, so any remaining moisture evaporates.
- It is easy and quick to make the hazelnut sauce in a blender. Melt the butter in a saucepan. As it cooks, it will foam a little, and then the foam will disappear and the solids will stick a little to the bottom of the pan, creating a darkish coating. The butter will turn a rich, very light brown color with a pleasant hazelnut taste. Let the butter cool for 5 minutes before using because if it is too hot it may curdle the yolks. Put the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water in a blender, turn the blender on, and with it running, pour the butter into it in a slow, steady stream. Add the lemon juice, a dash of salt, and a little cayenne pepper, and process for a few more seconds. The mixture should be smooth, creamy, and have a delicious flavor.
- To serve: reheat the asparagus (if necessary) in a microwave oven for about a minute, or place in a conventional oven for a few minutes at 180°F to warm it. Sprinkle the reserved croutons on top, and serve right away with the hazelnut sauce. It is said that the sulfur in asparagus gives a metallic taste to wine, especially red wine, but it takes more than that to prevent me from enjoying wine with this dish.