1. Trim about 2cm from the ends of the asparagus. Peel off the woody skin from the top down the length of the spear with a vegetable peeler.
2. In a pot of boiling water, add salt, lemon juice, and sugar. Add the asparagus, and cook until tender ( 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus).
3. Once cooked, drain and place asparagus on a plate. Serve with bearnaise sauce.
4. To make the bearnaise sauce, place shallots and peppercorns in a pot with the vinegar. Allow it to reduce to half. Then set aside to cool before transferring to the fridge. Allow it to infuse overnight in the fridge.
5. In a pot on low heat, melt butter until white solids are seen floating. Skim off the foam, then put it through a sieve.
6. Place mixing bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Add yolks, the infused vinegar from step one above, and whisk until emulsified.
7. Remove from heat, and gradually pour in a thin stream of clarified butter prepared in step 2 above until incorporated. Add a few drops of lemon juice. Fold in chopped chervil, and tarragon.
Recipe by Colin West, Huber's Butchery
