ASPARAGUS WITH SOFT-COOKED EGGS AND BROWN-BUTTER HOLLANDAIS

ASPARAGUS WITH SOFT-COOKED EGGS AND BROWN-BUTTER HOLLANDAIS image

Yield 4 SERVINGS

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 cup crustless 1-inch bread cubes, cut from thickly sliced, firm-textured country bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt
16 fat asaragus, though ends snapped off, stalks peeled
4 large eggs
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
cayenne pepper

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400°. In pie-plate, toss bread cubes w/ olive oil & season w/ salt. Bake for 8 mins, or until golden brown. Let cool completely. Transfer bread cubes to sturdy, plastic bag & crush them w/ rolling pin until coarse crumbs form. Reduce oven temp to 350°. Meanwhile, bring large, deep skillet of salted H2O to boil. Add asparagus & boil until just tender, about 5 mins. Drain asparagus. Transfer asparagus to large gratin dish. Bring med saucepan of H2O to boil. Add eggs & boil over mod heat for 5 min. Pour off H2O & gently shake saucepan to crack egg shells. Fill saucepan w/ ice H2O & let eggs cool for 5 mins, drain. Carefully shell eggs & transfer to plate. In small saucepan, cook butter over med heat until it smells like roasted hazelnuts & milk solids are lightly browned, about 7 min. Remove pan from heat & let brown butter cool slightly. Bring med saucepan of H2O to simmer over mod heat. In blender, combine egg yolks & 1 1/2 T hot H2O; blend for 2 secs. W/ blender on med speed, gradually add hot brown butter, a few drops @ a time at 1st & then in thin stream, until fully incorporated. Add any browned bits from bottom of pan, then add lemon juice. Season hollandaise w/ salt & pepper & pinch of cayenne. Reheat asparagus in oven. One by 1, carefully lower peeled whole eggs into hot H2O in med saucepan & warm just until heated through, about 1 min. Meanwhile, arrange 4 of the asparagus spears on ea of 4 plates. Pat eggs dry & set 1 on top of ea plate of asparagus. Spoon hollandaise over eggs & asparagus, sprinkle w/ crushed croutons & serve right away. MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through transfering asparagus to gratin dish up to 1 day ahead. Keep the bread crumbs in an airtight container. Cover the cooked asparagus w/ plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight. ACTIVE: 40 MIN; TOTAL: 1 HR