Asparagus with Sauce Hollandaise & Potatoes

Preparation

• 1
  Peel the white asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Do not peel the green asparagus, only trim the lower ends slightly. Tie the white and green asparagus into portions with kitchen twine.
• 2
  Bring about 3 liters of water with sugar and salt to a boil in a tall pot. Place the asparagus in it: Cook the green asparagus for about 5 minutes, the white asparagus for about 10 minutes. Free the cooked asparagus from the twine and arrange on preheated plates. Pour some of the Sauce Hollandaise over it. Serve the rest of the sauce separately in a gravy boat.
• 3
  Serve with boiled salted potatoes.
• 4
  For the Sauce Hollandaise: Melt the butter in a small saucepan until hot, then set aside.
• 5
  Whisk the egg yolks in a stainless steel or glass bowl with a little water and a pinch of salt.
• 6
  Add vinegar and wine to a small saucepan, add pepper. Reduce to about 2 tablespoons of liquid and, stirring constantly with a whisk, add to the egg yolks in the bowl.
• 7
  Bring about 2 cm of water to a boil in a pot, then reduce the heat to minimum. Place the bowl with the egg yolk mixture on top of the pot so that the bottom does not touch the water (bain-marie). Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
• 8
  Slowly pour the hot butter into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly – initially drop by drop, then in a thin stream. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt.