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“You’ll like it,” my wife said. It was Season 3 of Downton Abbey and I had avoided Seasons 1 and 2. I watched one episode and was hooked. Suzen and I are, of course, intrigued by the food: the basement kitchen where it all begins, the main floor dining room where dish after dish arrives under domed silver serving dishes delivered by a tuxedoed staff.

This recipe comes from Edwardian Cooking: 80 Recipes Inspired by Downton Abbey’s Elegant Meals, a book title that says it all. If you want to replicate a Downton Abbey meal for your cooking club, then this is the book to guide you through the event.

I never think side dishes get enough attention. Well, after all, they are merely “sides,” right? That is the lovely thing about Edwardian Cooking. You learn not only the recipes but the “why” of the recipe. For Edwardian meals, sides were important elements to be integrated into the full meal.

For example, the acidity of the cider sauce here amplifies the flavor of a main course seafood dish. In fact, you will find this dish to be just ever so slightly acidic. The sauce itself, heavy with cream, is lovely, smooth, and grandly satisfying. If you want a vegetarian meal — but not a vegan one — this asparagus with some rice would be a complete success.

Author Larry Edwards notes that in England the growing season is short, but spring would always bring an abundance of wild asparagus. The wild versions are smaller and more tender, which satisfied the preference at the table to eat asparagus with fork alone — no need for cutting with a knife.

Today’s commercial asparagus is often larger and tougher, so Larry suggests peeling to achieve that desired tenderness. Suzen had ordered asparagus and we were lucky to get very early, slim stalks. Stalks so slim that I literally could not peel them. We just followed the recipe and found ourselves sitting down to a dish that we’ll prepare again and again.

It’s now a favorite at our house. If you say “I hate asparagus” you are about to have a dramatic change in your culinary preferences. This is a really lovely recipe. Easily prepared, this is a side dish with “main dish” impact on your palate.

To see a review of Edwardian Cooking, just click here!


Asparagus in Cider Sauce

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons. flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅓ cup cider vinegar
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

In a large sauté pan, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 10 minutes or until tender, depending on the size. Drain the asparagus and set it aside. Discard the cooking liquid.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg until well combined. This is what is referred to as a seasoned roux (thickener).

Whisk the cider vinegar and whipping cream into the saucepan and whisk until the sauce begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Place the asparagus on a serving platter.

Drape the sauce over the asparagus and serve.

Source: Edwardian Cooking: 80 Recipes Inspired by Downton Abbey’s Elegant Meals by Larry Edwards [Arcade Publishing, 2013]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, 18-55mm Macro Lens, f/5.6, 1/20th second, ISO-500