"Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken."
M.F.K. Fisher
'Tis the season - fresh and crunchy asparagus! It is one of the vegetables that I wish grew and we had fresh all the time. And I mean fresh - grown somewhere close, not brought in from a different part of the world. I guess vegetables get jet lagged too - they don't taste as good if they travel far!
I was about to write this was one of my favorite combinations, but then - my "favorites'" list is getting pretty long. I have confessed my love for eggs numerous times already and I am seriously considering creating a separate category just for eggs. They don't deserve to be allocated as a subcategory under breakfast!
I'm really looking forward to when I will be able to try out myself the slow cooked eggs (among all other things) and share with you! P.S. I will get a chance to borrow a sous vide home machine by the end of this month and I am pretty sure the first thing I will be cooking will be eggs!
Now coming to those beauties - asparagus. They go with anything! Tarts with goat cheese, quiche, eggs, fish, meat - you name it. There's not much to be done with them. Some people shave them, some don't - I don't. When buying asparagus I'm always trying out how fresh they are. The easiest way to do it is take the whole asparagus with your fingers by different ends and bend it until it breaks. The tough part that breaks off, will not be going on the plate.
Ingredients:
* Eggs
* Smoked salmon
* A handful of fresh asparagus
* Salt'n'pepper
* A bit of olive oil or butter
Once you have them "broken" and ready to be cooked, braise for a few minutes on a hot pan with a dash of olive oil or a little bit of butter, sprinkle with salt'n'pepper. I'd give it 7-10 minutes. Set aside.
Eggs - prepare them however you like! Sunny side up, poach, scramble. The egg itself serves as a perfect sauce for this - make sure the yolk is runny and when you cut into it, the sauce is already there.
If you are a fan of a richer breakfast and don't care much about calory intake - top it with hollandaise sauce and enjoy!
Bon appetit!
