Recipes

Ingredients:

1 pound thin asparagus stalks (Feb, March, April are good months for asparagus)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
olive oil for brushing and drizzling
2/3 cup white wine vinegar (Actually any vinegar should work... I don't remember which one I used but it was definitely not wine vinegar)
6 eggs
Parmesan shavings, to serve

1. There is no need to peel the asparagus, but if it is thick, snap off any woody stalks at the point where they break easily.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the breadcrumbs (I used the crumbs of wheat bread which was available at home) and fry, stirring often, until crisp; remove from the heat. Season and stir in lemon zest and parsley.

3. Lay the asparagus on a greased cookie sheet and brush them with oil. Roast for 12 - 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, half fill a saucepan with water. add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Crack in the eggs from a height of about 4 inches (this gives them a good round shape). Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the white is firm. using a slotted spoon transfer the eggs to a bowl of warm water (I left them in the saucepan in which I boiled them, and that worked out fine)

5. Arrange the asparagus on plates. Drizzle with more oil and scatter the Parmesan shavings over. Spoon the eggs on top and sprinkle with the crumbs. Season with coarse sea salt (I used normal salt) and black pepper.