Asparagus Sauce - 2 Ways - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 -18 asparagus spears
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
salt (to taste)
ground black pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Snap off asparagus tips. Trim & discard the bottom inch of ea asparagus stalk. Peel the stalks, cut into 2-in pieces & set aside.
Heat butter in a 2 qt saucepan over med heat. Add flour & stir well w/a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low & cook (stirring often) for about 5 min or till roux has a nutty aromoa, but do not let it brown.
Whisk in the broth, stirring to make a smooth sauce. Add asparagus stalks, bring to a gentle simmer & cook for 30 minutes.
Puree using a blender, immersion blender or food proc. Keep warm till ready to use.
Cook asparagus tips in salted boiling water for 3-5 min or till barely tender. Drain at once, rinse w/cold water to stop cooking process & set aside.
Just b4 using sauce as desired, add asparagus tips & warm for 3 minutes.
NOTE #1: If using canned asparagus, drain & reserve liquid. When the roux is ready for addition of the broth, combine the reserved asparagus liquid w/broth to a total volume of 2 cups & add to roux, using additional broth as needed to get desired consistency. This method will concentrate the asparagus flavor. If using it + the broth, you will not need added salt.
Note #2: Without the fresh asparagus tips, you will not have the visual & textural elements of using fresh asparagus, but the sauce will be rich & flavorful. I favor adding baby shrimp or crisp bacon pieces to get visual & textural elements.
To Serve: Use sauce to top cheese omelets, cheese grits, a cheese souffle, cheese quesadillas, a baked potato, etc.