Hollandaise sauce is traditionally served with asparagus, but there’s no need for it here, since the poached eggs give a light texture to go with the rich, buttery crumbs. Serve with brown bread.
Serves 4
2–3 thick slices white bread (preferably 1 day old) or 3⁄4 cup (50 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tbsp (30 g) butter, plus extra to serve
1⁄4 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb (450 g) asparagus spears
4 large eggs (see box)
1. Make the breadcrumbs: cut the crusts off the bread. Tear the bread into large pieces, put them in a food processor, and process until they make fine crumbs. You will need 3⁄4 cup (50 g) of breadcrumbs. Heat the butter in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs, and fry until evenly brown and crisp (see Evenly crisp breadcrumbs). Add the paprika and a little salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Trim the asparagus spears and lay them in a wide-based sauté pan or frying pan. Pour enough boiling water over just to cover the asparagus and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about 3 minutes or until just tender. (See Tender-crisp asparagus.) Drain and keep warm.
3. Poach the eggs gently in a pan of simmering salted water over low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. (See Soft poached eggs.)
4. For each serving, lay some of the warm asparagus on a plate and dot with a small knob of butter. Carefully place a poached egg on top, season with a little salt and pepper, and scatter the buttered breadcrumbs on top.
ASPARAGUS WITH SOFT POACHED EGG AND BUTTERY CRUMBS
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Evenly crisp breadcrumbs
1 Use the pulse button of a food processor until the bread is reduced to same-sized crumbs. If the bread forms big lumps it will be more difficult to get the breadcrumbs evenly crisp.
2 When browning the breadcrumbs in the frying pan, you must keep stirring them with a wooden spoon or spatula, so they cook evenly and don’t burn.
Tender-crisp asparagus
1 It’s important to buy asparagus that is all the same width, so each spear cooks at the same rate. Before cooking the asparagus, trim the spears by removing the woody ends. Rather than using a knife to cut off the ends, snap them off with your fingers; the asparagus breaks off at the point where the stalk naturally starts to get tender.
2 A large, wide-based sauté pan or frying pan is good for cooking asparagus, as the spears can lay flat. Timing is key: if left to boil for too long, the asparagus will lose its color and crisp texture. Test for doneness by inserting the tip of a sharp knife into a stalk. If it goes in easily and the asparagus feels tender but still firm, it is just right.
Soft poached eggs
1 Use a slotted spoon to swirl the simmering water in the pan to make a vortex, then crack an egg into a small bowl or cup (this ensures the whites stay contained and won’t spread in the water). Slide the egg into the water. Poach only 1 or 2 eggs at a time, so they have room to gently move around without touching each other.
2 As soon as the egg touches the water, turn the heat to low and set the timer for 3 minutes. Swirl the water around the edge of the egg white to gather it in and give the egg a neat shape. Keep the water at a gentle simmer to ensure the egg doesn’t get too hard.
3 When the egg is done, the egg white will look set and opaque and the yolk will look slightly cloudy with a bit of a wobble. Carefully lift out the egg using a slotted spoon and lay it on a paper towel, so the excess water can drain away. Place the egg with the best side uppermost, in preparation for transferring it to the plate.
When buying eggs, check them carefully to be sure they’re fresh and that they don’t have cracked shells. Always use eggs before their “best before” date. This is vital from a safety point of view, but also because stale eggs have flat yolks and watery whites, which spoil both texture and taste.