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Asparagus mimosa
Serves 4 as a starter or side Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 500g aspragus
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
For the dressing
- 2tsp Dijon mustard
- 1tbsp red wine vinegar
- pinch caster sugar
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, peeled and very finely diced
Method
Trim the ends off the asparagus on the diagonal (you can snap them, but it's neater to use a knife). Use a peeler to take off around 5cm of the skin above the trimmed end.
Bring a medium-small pan of generously salted water to the boil. Insert the asparagus with the tips upright; they cook more quickly than the stems, and the steam from the pan is enough to soften them. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until tender but still with a little bite, then immediately plunge them into a bowl of iced water.
To make the dressing, put the mustard, vinegar and sugar into a bowl and whisk. Add the oil and half the shallot and whisk again. Taste and adjust the flavour to your taste. Set aside until needed.
Cut the eggs in half and put the yolks to one side. Roughly chop the whites.
Pat the asparagus dry then place in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Arrange on a platter (or individual plates if serving as a starter), overlapping them slightly and keeping the tips visible. Scatter the egg white in a line across the centre of the spears. Scatter with the remaining shallot. Press the yolks through a sieve with the back of a spoon and lightly sprinkle over the plate(s). Season with salt and pepper.
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