I try not to get too too caught up with whole seasonal this and that trend but right now, you are sleeping if you are not cooking a ton of asparagus. For this week’s Food Gold we are going to do a “soft touch” classic, asparagus topped with a fried egg. The name of the game here is timing, timing and timing so let’s jump in and see how to finesse this, ok?

ASPARAGUS with FRIED EGG (serves 2-4)

1 lb fresh (not frozen) asparagus, woody/purple stems removed. You can trim them using a vegetable peeler if they are super thick, but I don’t really do that.

2 tablespoons melted butter

2/3 cup of nice, sharp Parmesan cheese

4 fresh eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Bring a pot of heavily salted (like the ocean) water to a boil and blanch asparagus until they are crisp/tender and a beautiful bright green color. This should take approx 3 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Taste, taste, taste throughout to make sure you get the texture right. Once done, drain on paper towels. And then place on ovenproof skillet.

3. Melt two tablespoons of butter in medium skillet over medium/high heat until the butter gets foamy. After foam subsides, add your eggs, season them with salt and pepper and cook just until the whites are set, about 2 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

4. Place cooked asparagus in oven proof skillet. Top with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with any left over butter from the “egg” skillet.

5. Using a slotted spoon or fish spatula GENTLY place fried eggs on top of the asparagus/cheese. Season with a nice shot of sea salt if you like.

6. Place egg/asparagus/cheese in top rack of oven and cook until cheese is melted and yolks are still runny. This should take approx 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

7. Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!

Hope you give this a try, it will really make you feel like a maestro when you nail the timing!

Fork De World,

Elliot