Pollo e Asparagi {Chicken and Asparagus}

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large ovenproof dish with cooking spray. Pat chicken dry and place into dish. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn chicken and sprinkle with the juice of half of a lemon (that has been mixed with 2 tablespoons of water). Cook for additional 30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking trim asparagus and place them into a shallow saucepan (wide enough so that they lay flat). Add enough water just to cover. Season with salt and cook for approximately 10 minutes over medium heat. Transfer asparagus to a cutting board and remove tips. Transfer tips to a plate and keep warm. Return the stems of the asparagus to the pot and continue to cook for approximately 15 minutes longer or until they are extremely tender. Drain asparagus and return to pot. Using an immersion blender (or a food mill using the finest disc possible) and blend until you have a puree.

Chicken should be approximately 10 minutes from completion at this point. So remove chicken from oven and drain the chicken liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Return chicken to pan and continue cooking for the remaining 10 minutes.

Skim the excess fat from the chicken liquid and discard. Pour the remaining chicken liquid into the pan with the asparagus puree. Put your egg yolks into a bowl and add the remainder of the lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Pour this into the asparagus puree. Season with salt. Over the LOWEST heat possible cook for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Make sure to stir constantly.

Once thickened, remove from heat, add the mascarpone and grated Grana Padano. Stir to combine. When chicken is completed cooking transfer to a large serving plate. Pour the asparagus sauce on top and garnish with asparagus tips. Serve immediately!