Calling this a ‘recipe’ seems a little over the top. It’s more of an assembly job really, a gentle nudge towards a delicious meal made using simple, no-nonsense ingredients.
Running from the end of April until June, I look forward to the British asparagus season all year and this is my favourite way to cook and eat the tender green spears. Their presence on the supermarket shelves is so fleeting, it’s important to make this dish as many times as possible before they vanish for another 12 months.
Good fresh eggs make all the difference to this meal, so we’re very lucky that the owner of our local corner shop also happens to keep chickens and ducks at home. It always amuses me that I can pick up the kind of eggs you’d expect to find in a fancy farm shop or beside an honesty box on a country lane right here in the heart of East Bristol.
Requiring minimal preparation and hardly any time at all in the oven, I like to serve this dish as a light lunch at the weekend, especially when it’s warm enough to eat outside. It should serve two to four people depending how hungry they are, but buttery new potatoes and a green salad go well alongside if you want to bulk things out a bit.
You will need:
- 300g asparagus
- 6 eggs
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 200C/gas 6. Trim any woody bits from the asparagus and place in an oven-proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the stalks are fairly tender and the tips are beginning to brown.
2. Crack the eggs carefully into the dish containing the asparagus. Return to the oven and bake until the eggs are cooked to your liking. This should take 5-10 minutes depending how runny you like your yolks.
3. Drzzle with a little olive oil, check the seasoning and serve immediately.
- Do you love asparagus season as much as I do?
Love Audrey xxx
