When you prepare asparagus the French way, you have more of it to eat, it cooks faster, stays greener and tastes fresh from the garden. Delicious plain or served with a buttery orange sauce for a change, and most unusual in a soup, custard, or a quiche. The show opens with Child glowing over how much she appreciates asparagus and giving viewers advice about how to judge, purchase, and store it. Child emphasizes the importance of preparing asparagus the French waycutting off only a small amount of the bottom and especially peeling the stalk--asserting that it results in using more of the asparagus, makes it easier to cook and eat, and results in fresher-tasting finished asparagus. She instructs viewers in how to peel the asparagus (using a French vegetable peeler), then tie it into bundles and cook it in boiling water. Although she is clear that it can be served simply with only some lemon juice and salt to flavor it, she prepares a sauce maltese, which consists of hollandaise sauce with orange flavoring. She demonstrates how to beat eggs yolks, juice and other ingredients over heat until they become a custard, then adds melted butter orange flavoring. She describes serving and preparation for asparagus that is to be served cold as well as warm. Finally, she demonstrates how it can be served and eaten. Throughout the episode, and especially in the final scenes, Child stresses the exceptional taste of asparagus, the benefits of cooking it as the French do, and her intense enjoyment of it. She points out that people might eat asparagus every day when it is in season, so having a sauce helps to vary it. She also encourages viewers to serve it on its own as a first course or as a substitute for a salad course. Finally, she concludes by leaning back and lowering a whole stalk into her mouth. Summary and select metadata for this record was submitted by Tracey Deutsch.
