I was surprised to recently discover a hundred-year-old recipe for Asparagus with Orange Sauce that called for blood orange. I don’t think that I’ve ever previously seen a recipe for blood orange. The recipe turned out nicely. The sauce had a lovely sunny citrus flavor that nicely complemented the asparagus.
Until I read this old recipe, I had never realized that blood oranges were considered a spring citrus fruit a hundred years ago.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Asparagus with Orange Sauce
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
grated rind of 1/2 blood orange
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons lemon juicee
Juice of 1/2 blood orange
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter, softened
`Wash and trim asparagus. Put in steamer pan. Add water to bottom, and steam for about 5 minutes or until tender.
In the meantime to make the sauce, combine paprika, salt, grated orange rind, lemon juice, and water in a pan. Bring to a boil using medium heat, boil for several minutes until the volume is reduced by half. Remove from heat.
In a separate pan beat butter until creamy, then add to the grated orange rind and lemon mixture. Next add the egg yolks, one at a time, while beating into the mixture. Set pan with mixture into a pan with hot water. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens, then stir in the juice from the blood orange. To heat, put on medium heat for a few seconds while continuing to stir. Remove from heat and serve over the asparagus.
www,ahundredyearsago.com
A Hundred Years Ago 
Many thanks for sharing! A combination that we will definitely try. According to our greengrocer the season for blood oranges runs from December to April.
Thanks for the info about the season for blood oranges. Until I did this post, I never thought about it, but I had no idea that the blood orange season might be longer or skewed later than for other oranges.
That sounds really interesting. I’ll have to try it.
The sauce had a really nice flavor and went well with the asparagus.
I first met a blood orange in Italy 40 years ago. Haven’t seen one since. This recipe sounds good.
I never met a blood orange until a few years ago – but in recent years they regularly sell them at the store where I shop.
Yum! And we’re having asparagus today. Darn, I could have used this. It sounds delicious. But I’m not going to run around now in search of a blood orange. It will have to wait for another time lol
There’s always another day. At least around here, asparagus season is just beginning.
Mine just started too. I harvested 2 more stalks today. Another 7-8 days and I’ll have enough for another batch LOL
This looks heavenly!
It was yummy.
This doesn’t immediately attract me, but I’d give it a go, being a fan of both asparagus and blood oranges.
If you like asparagus and blood oranges, I think that you’d would like this.
The sad thing is that we used to have a much greater variety of produce a hundred years ago. So much that is grown now has been selected for long shipping to everywhere, and that cuts down on most of the best varieties of everything from corn to tomatoes and everything in between.
I’ve also noticed this – even just in the last 10 or 20 years, it seems like the variety of produce has really decreased. Some fruits and vegetables that I used to regularly buy, I can seldon find anymore. Endive comes ot mind as an example of something I haven’t seen in the stores where I shop in recent years. Stores have beautiful produce displays, yet there is little variety.
And the varieties they offer are often less flavorful. There are about 7,500 varieties of apples in the world, for example, yet we only find a dozen or so in the supermarkets.
It feels a little sad that we seldom get the opportunity to experience the many nuanced flavors and texutres of most of those apple varieties.
Even our Vermont orchards that offer a wide variety of heirlooms number them at 150 varieties or less!
Hehe! No thanks – I’m not a lover of asparagus nor of oranges. Putting the two together is a double no from me but I suspect my husband would like it….
This sounds like it isn’t the recipe for you – though it may be another story for your husband.
Blood orange.. that’s a new one for me. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one or seen one. The orange dressing looks good in a photo not sure about it in my mouth though… I’ll just make it simple and eat the asparagus as is and the orange for dessert.😉
Blood oranges are a fairly recent addition to the produce section at the stores where I shop – which is why I was so surprised to come across a hundred-year-old recipe that called for them. They have a nice taste. They are pretty similar to regular oranges, but maybe are a bit less tangy.
I was wondering what the difference in taste might be. Thanks.
I had never seen one of those until last year. They are very red inside indeed. Tasty too.
Blood oranges seem like they are a new addition at the grocery store. Some blood oranges are really red!
This looks great! Do you ever bake breads from 100 years ago? I’d love to explore that.
Occasionally – A post that I did about a hundred-year-old recipe for White Bread has been one of my more popular posts. I know that there are some readers who have really liked that recipe and made it multiple times.