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