Hollandaise Asparagus Recipe (Easy Spring Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce)

Ingredients

Asparagus

• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb / 450 g)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 g)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Green Oil (for Green Hollandaise)

• 1 cup garlic chives, chopped (about 40 g)
• 1 cup neutral oil like algae or canola oil (240 g)

Optional shortcut

You can skip this and just finely chop chives into your hollandaise, but this is how you get that bright green color.

Green Hollandaise

• 3 egg yolks (about 55 g)
• 1 tbsp water (15 g)
• 1 cup melted butter (225 g)
• Use as needed, you may not need all of it
• 2 to 4 tbsp green oil (30 to 60 g)
• 1/4 cup chopped chives (10 g)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 15 g)
• Salt to taste

Portuguese Sausage Shallot Sauce

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup / 60 g)
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (120 g)
• 1 cup diced Portuguese sausage like Redondo’s (about 150 g)
  • Substituate spam or chorizo if needed

• 1/4 cup honey (85 g)
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (60 g)
• Or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (6 g)
• Salt to taste

To Finish

• 1/4 cup chopped Marcona almonds (35 g)
• Flaky salt

How To Make It

1. Char the Asparagus

I charred my asparagus directly over the flame.

Toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then cook it hard. You want real color here. Some blackened edges are good. That’s flavor.

If you don’t have a flame, roast it in the oven at 450°F until charred and tender.

You’re looking for al dente. Not mushy.

2. Make the Green Oil

Blend your chopped chives with neutral oil on high for about 5 minutes until it heats up and turns vibrant green.

Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.

That’s your green oil.

This is what gives you that restaurant-level color.

3. Build the Green Hollandaise

I did this straight on the burner, but if you’re not comfortable, use a double boiler.

Add egg yolks to a bowl and whisk over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add water and keep whisking.

Once it gets foamy, slowly drizzle in your melted butter while whisking constantly.

You don’t need all the butter. Stop when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Then start adding your green oil a little at a time until you hit that bright green color.

Finish with chopped chives, lemon juice, and salt.

Hold it warm. Not hot. If it gets too hot, it breaks.

4. Make the Sausage Shallot Sauce

Start with shallots and oil in a cold pan.

Bring it up slowly until the shallots lightly brown.

Strain and reserve the oil.

Add diced sausage and cook until crispy.

Then add honey, vinegar, and chili flakes.

Let it bubble and reduce slightly.

You’re looking for something glossy. Sweet, acidic, salty, a little spicy.

Let it cool slightly before using.

5. Plate It

Lay down your asparagus.

Spoon over the sausage shallot sauce. Add chopped almonds for crunch.

Then finish with the green hollandaise right over the top.

Flaky salt to finish.

Why This Works

This is one of those dishes that feels simple but hits every angle.

You’ve got:

• smoke from the charred asparagus
• richness from the hollandaise
• brightness from the lemon and herbs
• sweetness and acidity from the sausage sauce
• crunch from the almonds

Nothing is doing too much, but everything is doing something.

Chef Notes

• If your hollandaise gets too thick, add a splash of warm water and whisk
• If it breaks, pull it off heat and whisk in a little water or another yolk
• The green oil is optional, but it’s what makes this visually pop
• This hollandaise works great for eggs benedict too

Final Thought

This is one of those dishes that looks like it took a lot of work, but it really didn’t.

It’s just knowing how to push simple ingredients a little further.

And honestly, that’s what most restaurant food is anyway