Steamed Asparagus with Aromatic Herb Dressing

The herb of choice here is fresh tarragon, and it goes beautifully with the mustard and cream in the dressing. When you want an elegant accompaniment to roasted meat or fish, something without vinaigrette, serve this. It is especially nice at Easter, with lamb.

Course Steamed Vegetables

Cuisine French-inspired

Keyword herb dressing, Steamed asparagus, vegetable

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 14

Servings 6

Ingredients

From 1 to one and a half pounds of medium-thick asparagus spears
FOR THE DRESSING
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
One-quarter of a cup of heavy cream

Instructions

1.Wash the asparagus and trim off any woody stems. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket set over a pot of boiling water. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and steam until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes.
While the asparagus is cooking, make the dressing: On a cutting board, combine the tarragon and parsley and finely chop them together. Place in a bowl, add the chives, mustard, vinegar, and cream, and whisk until well combined. (The dressing will be thick.)
To serve, arrange the asparagus spears on a serving platter and spoon the dressing over them.