Asparagus "en petit pois"


Asparagus "en petit pois"
As the name suggests, this historic recipe (see below for more details) treats asparagus like peas, Napoleonic French style: first cooked the usual way, then cut small (to look like peas), cooked again in stock, and finished with a cream and egg yolk sauce.
35 K 3.7/5 (7 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: May 2nd 2021
For 4 people, you will need:

Change to the quantities for:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 35 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 45 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 20 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Prepare and cook 800 g Asparagus in a large pan of salted water until barely tender, but still slightly firm. Do not overcook.

If they are too long, cut them in half.

Stage 2 - 5 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Drain, cool under running cold water, then drain again.

Stage 3 - 5 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Cut the asparagus into small pieces the size of peas (obviously).

Stage 4
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Prepare all the asparagus like this, transferring the cut pieces onto a cloth to dry.

Stage 5 - 3 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Put a large saucepan on medium heat and melt 30 g butter.

When hot, add the asparagus, salt, pepper and mix well.

Stage 6 - 4 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Add 100 ml vegetable stock and leave to simmer until the stock had almost completely evaporated.

Stage 7 - 1 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Add i100 ml liquid cream and 2 egg yolks. Mix well.

Stage 8 - 4 min.
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Leave on low heat to thicken gently.

Stage 9
Asparagus "en petit pois"
Serve in small individual dishes.
Remarks
You can use chicken stock instead of the vegetable stock.

This recipe takes its inspiration from Jean-Claude Brisville's play "Le Souper " (The Supper), which shows a supper – possibly imagined – shared by Fouché (Napoleon's chief of police) and Talleyrand (Napoleon's crafty chief diplomat) on the eve of the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1815.

Talleyrand is hosting in sumptuous style, his personal cook Antonin Carème is in the kitchen, and among the dishes on the menu is "Asperges en petits pois", for which he gives Fouché the recipe, saying it comes from a certain Monsieur de Cussy (Chief Steward of the imperial household under Napoleon, then under Louis XVIII).
It's a terrific historical drama (you can watch an extract here and test your French!), which was later made into an excellent film.
And to drink?
And to drink?
I suggest a nice Valençay, either white or red, whichever you prefer, to enter properly into the spirit of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, known simply as Talleyrand.
Keeping: Should be eaten immediately.
Source: Home made, based on Jean-Claude Brisville's play "Le Souper".
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe40 RDI=20 %80 RDI=8 %100 RDI=20 %1,380 RDI=70 %5,790 RDI: 70 %
Per 100 g3 RDI=1 %7 RDI=1 %9 RDI=1 %130 RDI=6 %540 RDI: 6 %
Per person9 RDI=4 %20 RDI=2 %30 RDI=4 %350 RDI=20 %1,450 RDI: 20 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, Celery, egg
How much will it cost?
  • For 4 people : 6.45 €
  • Per person : 1.65 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Four quarters (adding fruit)
Four quarters (adding fruit)
To improve a "four quarters" cake.
February 21th 2011173 K4.5 35 min.
Loin of pork with herbs and julienne vegetables
Loin of pork with herbs and julienne vegetables
Pork loin is cut into individual portions, which are split and filled with herbs before cooking. They are served with crunchy julienne vegetables and a cream sauce.
November 27th 2015356 K4.2 2 hours 35 min.
Sausage in brioche
Sausage in brioche
In this recipe, sausage is cooked, the skin removed, and baked in a savoury brioche dough. Serve preferably with a good green salad and French dressing (vinaigrette).
September 10th 2018412 K5 1 hour 50 min.
Crêpes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette are pancakes filled with orange-flavoured butter (butter and sugar mixed with Grand Marnier), caramelized in a pan and soaked in orange-flavoured syrup. This is an modified version of the recipe invented by Auguste Escoffier.
February 28th 2013145 K4.1 50 min.
Creamy Winter Vegetable Soup
Creamy Winter Vegetable Soup
This is a very simple recipe: lots of winter vegetables cooked in chicken stock, then blended. The soup's special finishing touch comes from cream and a spoonful of mustard.
January 14th 201580 K5 1 hour 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-02-02)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page