Asparagus, Hop Shoots, and the Easiest-Ever Hollandaise

Asparagus grows so fast that just two days after I first noticed it poking through the soil in my raised bed, the first spears were ready to pick. So to kick off Sunday lunch today, we had some as a starter - steamed for a few minutes in unsalted water, standing upright in a narrow pan so the tips steamed while the spears boiled, they were tender and totally delicious. Alongside them we also had a few hop shoots from the golden hop that I planted here a couple of years ago. I’d heard that you could eat the new tips before they start to unfurl but hadn’t tried them until I had a birthday lunch last summer at Gravetye Manor and they were served with my main course - it’s hard to describe the taste but it’s really lovely, sort of fresh and fragrant. If you have access to a hop plant, it’s well worth picking a few of the tips now - they just need dropping into boiling water for a couple of minutes.

And to go with that spring bounty, I made the easiest possible hollandaise sauce. It works every time - and takes less than a minute to make!