Asparagus With Orange Butter Sauce Recipe

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat.
Add shallots and stir until soft.
Add mustard and orange juice.
Bring to a boil over high heat; boil, uncovered, until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
Set aside.
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus.
Peel stalks with a vegetable peeler, if desired.
In a 12-to 14-inch frying pan, bring about 1 inch water to a boil over high heat.
Add asparagus, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until barely tender when pierced, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain; keep warm.
Reheat orange juice mixture to boiling; reduce heat to low and add remaining 7 tablespoons butter in 1 chunk, stirring constantly until blended.
Season to taste with salt.
If made ahead, keep warm for up to 4 hours in a hot 1- to 2-cup thermos.
Pour sauce equally on 6 warmed plates.
Set bottom half of 1 pastry raft (if used) on sauce.
Place 1/6 of the asparagus on each piece of pastry, letting ends stick out.
Prop pastry tops over asparagus.
(If pastry rafts are not used, simply lay asparagus in sauce.) Garnish each serving with an orange wedge.