Asparagus in Puff Pastry

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the lemon-butter sauce:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons dry white vermouth
Salt & ground white pepper
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons = 115 grams), chilled cut into 12 fingertip-size pieces

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

Instructions for the asparagus:
Trim the woody ends of the asparagus
With green asparagus, it should not be necessary to peel the skin of the asparagus
Boil the asparagus 5 - 8 minutes (depending on quality) until cooked - the asparagus should still have a bit of a bite, and not be limp and cooked to death!
Immediately remove the asparagus from the hot water and arrange in one layer on paper towels
Cut the asparagus to appr. 5 inches (13 cm) in length
Note: the asparagus may be cooked in advance; when cold, wrap and refrigerate them.

Instructions for the lemon-butter sauce:
Takes less than 5 minutes to make
In a small saucepan, slowly boil the lemon juice, vermouth, and ¼ tablespoon of salt
Boil down to about 1 tablespoon of sauce
With a whisk, beat in the chilled pieces of butter, one or two pieces at a time
Adding another piece or two, just as the previous pieces have melted, so that the sauce remains ivory colored, rather than looking like melted butter!
Season to taste with salt and white pepper

Instructions for the puff pastry pockets:
Pre-heat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F)
About 15 minutes before serving, arrange the dough rectangles (still frozen, if you wish) on a baking sheet
Brush the tops (not the sides) with a thin coating of egg glaze
After about a minute, paint with a second coat
With a sharp knife, make very shallow decorative knife cuts or cross-hatchings in the surface of the dough - do not cut through the dough!!!
Immediately bake in middle of oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until the pastries have puffed up and browned, and the sides have crisped
Note: may be baked somewhat ahead of time and left in turned-off oven, with the oven-door ajar (but this way, the puff pastry will be less flakey and buttery...)

Instructions for the assembly:
While the puff pastry is baking, melt 2 - 3 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the asparagus tips in one layer)
Add the shallots or scallions and sauté for a couple of minutes, while stirring occasionally
Add the asparagus tips and roll them over, to coat them with butter
Season lightly with salt and pepper, then roll over again
Split the hot pastry rectangles in half horizontally
Arrange 3 or 4 hot & buttery asparagus on each bottom half, their tips sticking out only on one side of the pastry
Spoon a bit of the lemon-butter sauce over the asparagus
Cover loosely with with the top pastries
Serve at once!