Asparagus with hollandaise gets a remake with dill, roasting

The combination of asparagus and hollandaise is quintessential in French cooking. Steamed asparagus is typically used, but the combination gets even better when the asparagus is roasted; the browning adds deep flavor to the sweet and verdant vegetable.

This complexity called out for a hollandaise with a bit more character than our lemon-scented standby, so we decided to use our Foolproof Mustard-Dill Hollandaise; tasters thought its zingy, herbal flavor woke up the dish. When roasting the asparagus, >> Recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Mustard-Dill Hollandaise

America’s Test Kitchen discovered that thicker spears held up better to the high heat. Peeling the bottom halves of the stalks — just enough to expose the creamy white flesh — delivered consistently tender and visually appealing asparagus.

To ensure a hard sear on our spears, we preheated the baking sheet and resisted the urge to give it a shake during roasting. This recipe works best with thick asparagus spears that are between ½ and ¾ inch in diameter. Do not use pencil-thin asparagus; it overcooks too easily.