asparagus and gulls’ egg salad

insalata di nizza

for 6

1.5 kg sprue asparagus, or as thin as you can find

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

12 gulls’ eggs, or 18 quails’ eggs

80 g Niçoise or other black olives, pitted

3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 small dried red chillies, crumbled

6 salted anchovies, prepared (see here)

juice of 1 lemon

150 g Parmesan, in shavings

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus spears and tie the spears together into two bunches. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and blanch the asparagus for 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove the strings. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Put the gulls’ eggs into a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, drain, cool a little and then peel off the shells. Cut the eggs in half lengthways; they should be soft in the centre. (Quails’ eggs will take only 1 minute from coming to the boil.)

Add the olives and parsley to the asparagus, and very gently toss together. Place the asparagus on to a large serving dish, and put the gulls’ eggs on top. Sprinkle each egg with a tiny bit of chilli, salt and pepper. Arrange the anchovy fillets on top as well. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over each fillet, and finally add the Parmesan shavings.