I ran across these definitions on epicurious.com:

Maltaise sauce; Maltese sauce
[mahl-TEHZ, mahl-TEEZ]
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE blended with orange juice and grated orange rind, used to
top cooked vegetables, particularly asparagus and green beans.


soubise
[soo-BEEZ]
1. A rich, velvety sauce made by combining BÉCHAMEL (white sauce) with
pureed cooked onions and sometimes a small amount of cream. 2. A meat
accompaniment of pureed cooked onions and rice. 3. A term applied to dishes
(such as eggs à la soubise) topped with or accompanied by a creamy onion
sauce.


Breakfast tomorrow will be steamed asparagus topped with a poached egg
and... which one of those?

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>I ran across these definitions on epicurious.com:
>
> Maltaise sauce; Maltese sauce
>
> soubise
>
>
> Breakfast tomorrow will be steamed asparagus topped with a poached egg
> and... which one of those?

My choice would be hollandaise because it has the spark I like with poached
eggs. Maltese is too soft IMO and anything based on white sauce is an also
ran.
I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
lying down. It took a while to get the timing just right, but I like it a
lot as the egg attaches well to the asparagus and I only have one pot to
wash.
I clean, peel and then cut all but the top 4" off the stalks, using them for
various asparagus dishes, then use the tops for my breakfast. Living alone
allows one to be totally selfish about asparagus tips.

Giusi wrote:
>
> "Bob Terwilliger" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> >I ran across these definitions on epicurious.com:
> >
> > Maltaise sauce; Maltese sauce
> >
> > soubise
> >
> >
> > Breakfast tomorrow will be steamed asparagus topped with a poached egg
> > and... which one of those?
>
> My choice would be hollandaise because it has the spark I like with poached
> eggs. Maltese is too soft IMO and anything based on white sauce is an also
> ran.
> I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
> season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
> lying down. It took a while to get the timing just right, but I like it a
> lot as the egg attaches well to the asparagus and I only have one pot to
> wash.
> I clean, peel and then cut all but the top 4" off the stalks, using them for
> various asparagus dishes, then use the tops for my breakfast. Living alone
> allows one to be totally selfish about asparagus tips.

You're boiling the asparagus?! I only ever steam or roast asparagus. I'd
think boiled asparagus would be rather like the sad canned asparagus
mush.

Pete C. replied to Giusi:

>> I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
>> season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
>> lying down. It took a while to get the timing just right, but I like it
>> a lot as the egg attaches well to the asparagus and I only have one pot
>> to wash. I clean, peel and then cut all but the top 4" off the stalks,
>> using them for various asparagus dishes, then use the tops for my
>> breakfast. Living alone allows one to be totally selfish about asparagus
>> tips.
>
> You're boiling the asparagus?! I only ever steam or roast asparagus. I'd
> think boiled asparagus would be rather like the sad canned asparagus
> mush.

My favorite way to cook asparagus is flat in a skillet filled with boiling
salted water. You only cook the asparagus until it turns bright green and
softens slightly; you don't cook it to mush. I don't think I'd have success
following Giusi's technique because when I cook asparagus the water is
boiling a bit too vigorously for poaching eggs.

Roasting is my *least* favorite way to cook asparagus; it gets too dried out
and woody. Steaming is much like boiling, only more prone to overcooking
because steam is hotter than boiling water.

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> Pete C. replied to Giusi:
>
>>> I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
>>> season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
>>> lying down.
>>
>> You're boiling the asparagus?! I only ever steam or roast asparagus.
>> I'd>> think boiled asparagus would be rather like the sad canned
>> asparagus>> mush.

Well, it isn't. AAMOF, thgey even have asparagus boilers, do you not
recall? It could be if you overcooked it, but I like it very crisp, so
boiling is the easiest way to do it. I don't like it roasted as it looks
shriveled and abused and tastes funky to me.

> My favorite way to cook asparagus is flat in a skillet filled with
> boiling> salted water. You only cook the asparagus until it turns bright
> green and> softens slightly; you don't cook it to mush. I don't think I'd
> have success
> following Giusi's technique because when I cook asparagus the water is
> boiling a bit too vigorously for poaching eggs.

But that's just how I am cooking it, albeit in a smaller pan than if the
spears were whole. Boiling is boiling, so it doesn't have to be jumping out
of the pan. Just add the egg(s) at the right second and cover. Remove when
the white is white and the yolk is runny.

In article om>,
"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:


> Steaming is much like boiling, only more prone to overcooking
> because steam is hotter than boiling water.

As a practical matter, in the home kitchen, I doubt that steam has a
higher temperature than boiling water. To get steam that is hotter than
boiling water, from boiling water, you have to either heat the steam
after the water boils, or boil it under pressure.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Giusi wrote:
> "Bob > ha scritto nel messaggio
>> I ran across these definitions on epicurious.com:
>>
>> Maltaise sauce; Maltese sauce
>>
>> soubise
>>
>>
>> Breakfast tomorrow will be steamed asparagus topped with a poached egg
>> and... which one of those?
>
> My choice would be hollandaise because it has the spark I like with poached
> eggs. Maltese is too soft IMO and anything based on white sauce is an also
> ran.
> I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
> season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
> lying down. It took a while to get the timing just right, but I like it a
> lot as the egg attaches well to the asparagus and I only have one pot to
> wash.
> I clean, peel and then cut all but the top 4" off the stalks, using them for
> various asparagus dishes, then use the tops for my breakfast. Living alone
> allows one to be totally selfish about asparagus tips.
>
>
Ditto re the Hollandaise Sauce.

On Sun, 1 May 2011 12:17:11 +0200, "Giusi" > wrote:

> I have actually been eating asparagus with poached egg often during this
> season. I am poaching the egg on top of the asparagus which is cooking
> lying down. It took a while to get the timing just right, but I like it a
> lot as the egg attaches well to the asparagus and I only have one pot to
> wash.
> I clean, peel and then cut all but the top 4" off the stalks, using them for
> various asparagus dishes, then use the tops for my breakfast. Living alone
> allows one to be totally selfish about asparagus tips.

Are you using white or green asparagus?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.