Orange Sauce Recipe

This orange sauce recipe, known as Maltese sauce in France, is made like a Hollandaise sauce recipe with orange juice added at the end. It is a traditional topping for asparagus. Recommended with broccoli and fish too.

Sauce Maltaise

7 ounces unsalted butter, melted and clarified
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons water
juice of 1/2 orange, traditionally a blood orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
salt and white pepper

Melt the butter over very low heat without stirring and skim off the solids floating on top. Fill a pan about half way with water and bring it to just below boiling.

Place the egg yolks in a Pyrex bowl that fits just inside the pan. Whisk in the three tablespoons of water and place bowl in pan of simmering water. Continually whisk until egg yolks thicken and lighten (about 5 minutes).

Remove from heat and very gradually pour in the clarified butter, continually whisking. Whisk in orange juice, zest, salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings.