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April
2008 Recipe
Asparagus with Mushrooms in a Tarragon Cream
Asperges et Champignons à la Crème d'Estragon
photo by France Ruffenach
The
Loire Valley, with its temperate climate and sandy soil, is a
paradise for fine vegetables. When they reach the kitchen they are
often combined, for example the green peas, lettuce and scallions
in Petits Pois à la Française, or this appealing dish of asparagus
and mushrooms flavored with tarragon, great as a first course or
accompaniment to roast chicken or a luxury meat such as veal. This
recipe does not take long and is best prepared just before
serving.
Serves 4
to 6
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1
large bunch of tarragon (about 1 ounce/30 grams)
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Salt
and pepper
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2
pounds/900 grams green asparagus
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3
tablespoons/45 grams/1 1/2 ounces butter
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4
ounces/110 grams button mushrooms, thinly sliced
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Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
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2
shallots, finely chopped
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3
tablespoons/22 grams/3/4 ounce flour
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1/2
cup/125 milliliters/4 fluid ounces crème fraîche or heavy cream
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Grated
nutmeg
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Thin
string for tying
Pull the
tarragon leaves from the stems and chop the leaves. Add stems to a
large shallow pan of lightly salted water (do not oversalt as the
water will be used for sauce) and bring it to a boil. Peel stems
of the asparagus and divide them in 4 to 6 bundles. Gather up each
bundle, so the tips are lined up evenly, holding them vertically,
heads down. Tie them in a bundle using two loops of string to hold
them in place. Trim the cut ends level. Immerse the bundles in the
boiling water and simmer until the asparagus is just tender, 6 to
8 minutes. Drain in a colander, setting aside the cooking liquid.
Rinse the asparagus bundles briefly with cold water to stop
cooking, and leave them to drain, covered with aluminum foil to
keep warm.
Melt the butter
in a medium saucepan, add the mushrooms with the lemon juice,
salt, and pepper. Press a piece of foil on top, cover, and cook
over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Uncover, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until any liquid has
evaporated. Meanwhile, measure 1 cup/250 milliliters/8 fluid
ounces of cooking liquid. Stir the flour into the mushrooms,
followed by the measured cooking liquid. Bring this sauce to a
boil, whisking constantly until it thickens lightly. Add the crème
fraîche and bring just back to a boil. Take from the heat, add the
chopped tarragon with a little nutmeg, taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer the asparagus bundles to warm plates, discard strings and
spoon the sauce over the center, leaving stems and tips uncovered.
Serve at once.
Excerpted from THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE
by Anne Willan, Chronicle Books, 2007.
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