George Kelso of Edinburgh, Scotland, writes: "Although I grew up in Scotland and spent my early years as a chef here, I didn't start specializing in Scottish food until much later in my career. After working in London and at various restaurants in England, I returned to Scotland in 1988 to become chef at Ardsheal House in Argyll, where I started cooking exclusively with Scottish ingredients. We grew our own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and even raised our own hens and ducks. That experience inspired the kind of cooking I do today at Haldanes, where I'm chef and owner. I keep the food preparation simple and use the freshest produce. That's why I use local suppliers as much as possible."
This easy version of the classic egg yolk and wine sauce is made with mayonnaise and toasted peppercorns. It works well on meats, poultry, fish, and even sandwiches. Here, it ups the ante on vegetables.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place peppercorns in heavy resealable plastic bag; crush coarsely with mallet. Heat heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add peppercorns and onion. Cook until peppercorns are fragrant and toasted, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, whipping cream, and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Stir in peppercorn mixture. Season sabayon to taste with salt.
Step 2
Preheat broiler. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish or broilerproof casserole. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat dry. Arrange asparagus in single layer in prepared dish. Spread with sabayon. Broil until sauce turns golden, about 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
