Asparagus with sauce fleurette

Bring a big pot of water with 12 g of salt per litre to the boil.

Lay each spear flat on a chopping board and take a thin layer of skin off with a peeler under light pressure, turning the spear and working all around it; keep the head intact and do not remove the flesh.

Level the spears, tie each bunch with string — three turns in front, three behind, then tie off — and cut the ends level, so they cook evenly and do not float around.

Put the white asparagus into the boiling water and count 20 minutes.

Put the green asparagus in five minutes later so both finish together.

Add a few drops of lemon juice to the water to keep the white asparagus from discolouring.

Lift the asparagus out very gently and stop the cooking in icy or very cold water so the green colour does not fade.

Once cool, move them delicately onto a paper towel and hold them in the fridge while the sauce is made.

Set a bowl that does not touch the water over a pan of simmering water; put in all the cream, then the egg yolk.

Bring it to a light foam, then add the cold butter all at once and incorporate it very gently; everything cooks together.

After about two minutes, with the water almost simmering, the egg starts to cook and the sauce thickens; keep whisking until it is as thick as hollandaise.

Off the heat add a few drops of lemon juice for acidity, then a tiny bit of salt, black pepper and cayenne, going easy.

Serve warm with the asparagus, a little sauce in the middle, a few radishes, a sprinkle of cayenne and a little lemon. Keep the sauce warm or it gets too thick.