Asparagus and duck egg dressing
Freshly poached asparagus is amazing when paired with a duck egg and mustard dressing and served with nutty morel mushrooms.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 250ml/9fl oz vegetable oil
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú salt
- 5g/¼oz cracked white peppercorns
- 15g/½oz banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú Dijon mustard
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú English mustard
For the asparagus
- 3 duck eggs
- 20 asparagus spears, peeled and woody ends removed
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mushrooms
Method
To make the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or jug. Chill in the fridge for 24 hours. Blend the mixture using a handheld blender until smooth then pass through a fine sieve. Set aside.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, then boil the duck eggs for 4 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water.
To make the asparagus, place the asparagus in a saucepan, just cover with water and bring to the boil. Add the butter and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place 100ml/3½fl oz of the dressing in a large bowl. Peel the soft-boiled eggs and roughly chop into small bite-sized pieces, making sure to keep all the yolk. Add the egg to the dressing, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley.
To make the mushrooms, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until you have cooked off some of the excess water and the mushrooms are cooked through. Add the Madeira and reduce by half to make a nice syrupy glaze.
Divide the asparagus between four plates, top with the mushrooms and drizzle the egg dressing over the asparagus. Serve immediately while everything is still warm.
Recipe Tips
The dressing recipe will make extra, but it will keep for a week in the fridge and you can use it for other salads.
