Lightly steamed asparagus spears are drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette and sprinkled with hard-cooked egg in this dressy but simple spring salad. The French always serve asparagus on its own, never on a plate with other dishes. You can follow suit and serve this as a first course to a spring dinner, or chuck tradition and serve it alongside a roast chicken and steamed new potatoes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 lb. asparagus
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. minced parsley, chives, chervil, dill, or combination
Preparation:
- Place egg in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let it sit 14 minutes (yes, exactly!). Transfer the egg to a bowl of ice water and let it sit to cool, about 10 minutes. Peel the egg, finely chop it or grate it on a large-hole grater, and set it aside.
- While the egg cooks and cools, trim and discard the tough ends of the asparagus (see How to Trim Asparagus for specifics) or, for a prettier presentation, peel tough ends (see How to Peel Asparagus).
- In a large frying pan bring 1/4 inch of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. of the salt and the trimmed asparagus, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the asparagus is bright green and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Immediately rinse the asparagus under cold running water until it's cool. This will help set the green color and keep it from overcooking. Pat the asparagus dry and arrange it on a serving platter.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, mustard, and pepper to combine. Stir in the herbs. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the asparagus. Sprinkle the asparagus with the egg. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings of Asparagus With Vinaigrette and Egg.
