Asparagus Irene
Asparagus Irene
Naming a recipe can be tricky. Sometimes I just list the ingredients in the dish- like chicken with pineapple and honey. That works, but feels a little like cheating to me. I started out calling this Asparagus with Eggs, which was fine. As I started writing out the description I was thinking about my Mom and how she loved asparagus. She always wanted the bigger ones- she said they had more flavor. I remember her showing me how to break the bottom of the stalks off and how she would cook them until they were just done- not mushy. She wouldn’t consider eating canned asparagus- only fresh- so the season was short. It was something to be savored while it lasted. Most times we just placed the stalks on a plate, topped them with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt. One time, though, she made a white sauce and poured it over the asparagus. It was bliss. So in her memory- I named the dish after her.
For this version I used a white sauce, but topped the asparagus with 2 poached eggs first. It was a lovely dish and made for a great dinner. Here is the recipe.
Asparagus Irene
1 lb. fresh asparagus, washed and stems trimmed
white sauce- recipe follows
fresh lemon, cut in wedges
2 eggs
vinegar- for the poaching water
salt and pepper to taste
Put the asparagus in a steamer and cook for about 5 minutes- or until almost done. Set aside. Make white sauce, but add some lemon juice to it. I just kept squeezing lemon wedges in until it tasted right to me. Set sauce aside. Boil some water in a shallow pan and add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Drop the two eggs in and simmer, covered until the whites are opaque and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking return the asparagus to the heat and cook until just tender. Place asparagus on a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little salt. Gently place the eggs on top of the asparagus. Spoon some of the white sauce over the eggs. You will have more sauce than you need. Save it for another use. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley, if you like. Finish with some salt and fresh ground pepper. Serves 2.
Basic White Sauce (Bechamel)
The start of many a classic dish.
2 T. butter or oil
2 T. flour
1 1/4 c. warmed milk
salt and pepper to taste
In saucepan melt butter or heat oil and add flour, stirring until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Turn heat down and continue to cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes longer. Season to taste. If you are going to store the sauce for later use place a layer of wax paper on top, store in a container with a lid or pour a little milk over the top to prevent a skin from forming. Makes about 1 c.
Lemon: Add zest of a lemon, 2 T. lemon juice and 2 T. butter just before serving.
