Asparagus can be a delicious seasonal vegetable, especially if prepared in the right way and with the right ingredients, in order to enhance its taste. Some of those right ingredient happens to be the egg and the mushroom, both of which are used in today’s preparation, a delicious and tasty dish.

Prep time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients (4 ramekins) :

– 12 to 16 asparagus (green and thin, which are daintier and tastier than their white and thick counterparts)
– 160 to 200g mushrooms
– 4 eggs
– 4 tablespoons thick crème fraiche
– some grated cheese (parmesan, gruyère, …)
– some fleur de sel
– pepper from a pepper mill

Préparation of the vegetables
Start by heating a big pot of water. Wash the asparagus, cut 1cm of their feet (which is often hard, especially if they’re not ultra-fresh), and peel them with a peeler. To do so, seize them by their head and place the peeler right under it. Peel to the bottom, all around. Once every asparagus is peeled, put them in the boiling water in which you’d beforehand have put a pinch of coarse salt and bit of vinegar (white or cider). Let it cook until the asparagus start to soften, while still remaining firm (after about 5 to 10 minutes of cooking).

During that time, prepare your mushrooms. Those can be of any type, but at this season it’ll probably be some morels, girolle mushrooms, or ceps. If necessary, wash and/or peel them, then sauté them in a frying pan with a dash of oil. Once the asparagus are ready, get them out of water and cut them in 3. Add them to the mushrooms in the pan.

Preparation of the ramekins et cooking
Preheat your oven at 120ºC (thermostat 4). Take 4 ramekins and line them with asparagus and mushroom. Salt and pepper a first time, then cover with grated cheese. Add a generous tablespoon of thick crème fraîche in each ramekin, break an egg on it, salt and pepper one more time. Cover the ramekins entirely with aluminium foil and put for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. Eat it while it’s hot, with a nice salad and vinaigrette.

Also published on Medium.

This post is also available in: French