Recipe - Asparagus-Orange Veloute

1 pound Asparagus, Peeled And Washed
4 cup Water
4 tablespoon Butter
3 tablespoon Flour
Salt And Pepper
2 Egg Yolks
1 cup Dry White Wine
2 tablespoon Creme Fraiche, Or Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Sugar
One half cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 pn Nutmeg

1. Peel the hard part of the asparagus and wash it well. Place the
asparagus in a soup pot, ass water, and cook at a gentle boil for 20
minutes. Drain the asparagus and preserve the water. Cut the asparagus
stalks in half and place the top portions aside.

2. Melt the butter in another pot, add the flour a little at a time, and
stir continuously.

3. Blend the soup in a blender and return it to the soup pot. Continue
cooking it over very low heat, not allowing the soup to come to a boiling
point.

4. Beat the egg yolks in a deep bowl, add the wine, creme fraiche, and
sugar and mix thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the soup. Add the orange
juice, nutmeg, and asparagus tops and check the seasonings. Stir well and
reheat the soup for a few minutes until it is hot. Don't let it boil. Serve
immediately.

Recipe by: Twelve Months of Monastery Soups. p. 73 Posted to MCRecipe
Digest V1 #648 by Sue suechef@sover.net on Jun 24, 1997