With a paring knife, peel the asparagus (white parts) without touching the tips. Peel deeper towards the base. Wash, drain, set aside.
Put a large saucepan filled with salted water on the heat and bring to a boil. Form small bundles with the asparagus, dividing them by size, then plunge them into boiling water. Remove the smaller ones after 6 minutes, then every two minutes, remove the remaining smaller ones and so on. Drain them and reserve them in a tea towel on a dish.
Peel the orange and cut the skin into fine julienne strips, put it in a small saucepan with the sugar and water and leave to confit gently.
Squeeze the orange and collect the juice; do the same with the half lemon.
Place the egg yolks and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat or in a bain-marie. Whisk vigorously with a whisk until the mixture thickens and becomes soft and frothy. Then add the lemon and orange juices, then the Grand-Marnier. Give two turns of the pepper mill, salt very lightly (taste) and also add the candied orange julienne.
Arrange the asparagus on four plates, coat the heads with the cooled sauce and serve the rest in a sauce boat.
Green asparagus, grown in the Rhône delta, is the best, unfortunately it is rare and expensive. Violets from the Loire Valley and Charentes are more common and more affordable, they are also tender and delicious. I also particularly like those from Loir-et-Cher, less tasty, they are still very tender and will greatly reduce your cost price.
Source:Chef Hubert's Favorite Recipes
