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Asparagus in Ambush

I quart of asparagus tips, I pint of milk, I ounce of butter, I long, stale loaf of bread, 4 eggs (yolks), Salt and pepper to taste.

Wash the asparagus tips, throw them into boiling water, add a teaspoonful of salt and boil fifteen minutes; then drain in a colander. Cut the bread into slices one and a half inches in thickness, remove the crusts; mark out the centre and remove the crumbs, leaving the slice in the form of a perfectly square box, the walls and bottom about one and a half inches thick. Brush the outside with melted butter and put into a quick oven until a golden brown. Fill the asparagus tips into the centres; arrange them on a neatly folded napkin. Stand them in a warm place while you make the sauce.

Put the milk on to heat in a double boiler, beat the yolks of the eggs until light, then stir them into the hot milk; stir until they just begin to thicken. Take quickly from the fire, add the butter, salt and pepper; pour this carefully into the boxes and serve at once.

ASPARAGUS, à la HOLLANDAISE.

I bundle of asparagus, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, I tablespoonful of lemon juice, I bay leaf, 2 ounces of butter, Yolks of two eggs, I teaspoonful of onion juice, I tablespoonful of chopped parsley.

Wash, trim and boil the asparagus as directed for boiled asparagus. When done, drain and arrange neatly in a flat vegetable dish. Put the butter in a saucepan; when melted, add the flour; mix until smooth. Add a half pint of the water in which the asparagus was boiled; stir continually until boiling; add the bay leaf, onion, salt and pepper to taste. Stand this over hot water for five minutes; strain, add the parsley chopped fine, and the well-beaten yolks of the eggs; take from the fire and add the lemon juice. Pour this over the asparagus and serve as a vegetable course, by itself.