Asparagus With Crème Fraîche And Parmesan

Asparagus With Crème Fraîche And Parmesan
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Rich, creamy, and light as air—this is a really nice, simple way to serve asparagus. During its season, I like to eat local asparagus whenever I can. Use a mixture of white and green if possible—the contrasting colors and subtly different flavors are great together. Borage is not so easy to find in stores but if, like me, you grow the herb in your garden, scatter a few flowers over the top just before serving.Excerpted from SPRING by Skye Gyngell by arrangement with Quadrille Publishing, distributed by Chronicle Books, Copyright © 2016 by Skye Gyngell.
Servings
4
servings
Ingredients
  • 20 to 30 asparagus spears
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 organic free-range eggs
  • 3/4 cup crème fraîche
  • 2/3 cup parmesan, freshly grated
  • a scattering of borage flowers (or chervil or chives), to finish
Directions
  1. Break off and discard the woody ends from the base of the asparagus stalks. Drop the asparagus spears into the pan of boiling water and cook about 1 minute or until the asparagus is just tender to the bite. Using tongs, remove the asparagus from the water and drain well, then dress with the olive oil and arrange on warm plates.
  2. Start with the sauce. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Break the eggs into a bowl that fits snugly on top of the pan and add a pinch of salt. Set the bowl over the pan of boiling water, making sure the base is not in contact with the water, and whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the crème fraîche and whisk continuously until the sauce has slightly thickened; it will become thinner at first, then thicken and almost double in volume.
  3. Remove the bowl from the pan. Add the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and set aside while you cook the asparagus.
  4. Set the bowl of sauce back over the pan and heat 1 minute to ensure it is warm, then spoon generously over the asparagus. Finish with the borage flowers, if you have them, or chervil or chives.
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