Spring vegetables with beurre blanc

I’ve written three Who to Watch in 2008 designer profiles for various publications this afternoon, so naturally my thoughts have turned again to food after flicking through a pile of look books featuring wafer-thin models.

Tonight I steamed asparagus (out of season, I know, but my sister bought it – blame her), to toss in a frying pan with fresh long garlic shoots and Paris mushrooms, then served it all with a beurre blanc as a contrast to our Indian soup yesterday.

I love making beurre blanc: it’s amazing how such a simple recipe (butter, shallots, tarragon, white wine) produces this ethereal, yet artery-blocking emulsion. Still, it’s only a tablespoon each, so the damage shouldn’t be too long-lasting. I highly recommend this dish: it reminds me of Spring in the depths of Winter. (Oddly enough, it goes quite well with mashed potatoes if you require some filling carb action, altho it would mean an OD on the butter front.)