Asparagus and eggs, a lovely, springy dinner for two

Asparagus and Poached Egg gets a sauce of balsamic vinegar and butter to finish. MAUREEN FITZGERALD
Asparagus and Poached Egg gets a sauce of balsamic vinegar and butter to finish. MAUREEN FITZGERALD (MAUREEN FITZGERALD)
Posted: March 29, 2012

This classic pairing of asparagus and poached egg is such a lovely weeknight dinner, especially as a herald to spring.

It's not something I would make on a weeknight for the kids, I will confess, too challenging to poach all those eggs. But it is perfect supper for one or two. Though it is a few steps, the results are well worth the effort.

This recipe, from Jane Hornby's newest offering, Fresh & Easy: What to Cook & How to Cook It, adds a sauce of balsamic vinegar and butter to the asparagus, for a spot-on finishing touch.

It also calls for the asparagus to be cooked in a skillet on top of the stove. I used my trusty cast-iron pan, and I loved how it browned the edges of the spears without overcooking them.

Of course you can steam the asparagus, or roast it in the oven or even grill it, for similar results. But the skillet allows you to toss that chunk of butter in the still-hot pan, and none of the pan juices are lost in the effort.

Similarly, you can fry the eggs, or use one of those poaching devices, but you will miss the beauty of that finished poached egg on your plate, not to mention the fun of seeing the egg gather itself together into a little white ball in the boiling water.

Contact Maureen Fitzgerald at 215-854-5744 or mfitzgerald@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @mydaughterskit. Read her blog, "My Daughter's Kitchen," at www.philly.com/mydaughter.

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