This is such an incredibly simple meal, but it follows my philosophy of produce, technique and harmony in cooking right down to the last shaving of parmesan.
The recipe is utterly reliant on top-quality produce. The British asparagus season is over in a flash, but when they're here and ready – and that's now – they're unbeatable. It's best to wolf down plenty in season and look forward to them for the res
t of the year. Those grown year-round hundreds of miles away are not worth their extortionate price tags.
Eggs should always be organic and free range and should say so on the box. Don't be fooled by misleading labelling such as "farm eggs" or "barn eggs". And, lastly, buy the best parmesan and olive oil you can for recipes like this where the individual flavours are so important. Put the above ingredients all together, and you've got harmony. Try it and see if you're not convinced.
As for technique, I find grilled asparagus immensely superior to boiled or even steamed. Boiled ones invariably end up being sucked from the top down, turning them into sloppy straws. With the grilling method, all the flavour stays in and the texture remains firmer, giving you a cleaner bite. We've used a chargrill pan here, but the same principles apply on a barbecue.
Chargrilled asparagus with fried egg
Serves four450g of medium-sized fresh asparagus spears
4 fresh organic hen's eggs, chilled
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
50g parmesan, freshly shaved
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
wooden cocktail sticksFirst, preheat a ridged griddle pan until very hot/smoking.
To prepare the asparagus, snap the woody ends off the spears and, using a potato peeler, shave the ends (if slightly hard and woody) to a point. Brush the spears lightly with olive oil. Lay three or four spears together side by side so that all the tips are pointing in the same direction. Take a cocktail stick and push it through all the spears, starting near the base until they hold together, like a raft. Repeat further up with another cocktail stick. You may need to use three cocktail sticks if your spears are particularly long.
Griddle your asparagus rafts for about three minutes on each side – turning only once, using the cocktail sticks to help you turn them over.
Leave the asparagus on the griddle for long enough to brand with griddle marks. Don't keep moving them or they will end up with a mess of chargrill patterns. The asparagus should be tender and lightly charred. Keep warm while you cook the egg.
To fry the eggs heat a small pan to hot and add a little oil. Crack an egg into the pan; it should start to cook and bubble straight away. Do not touch the egg at all until the white is partially set.
Try to apply an even heat to the egg by basting with hot oil. When the white is set, the edges crispy and the yolk still wobbly, use a cranked turner or a flexible spatula to remove the egg.
Drain off any excess oil on kitchen towel and serve immediately.
To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the asparagus and divide between four warmed plates. Top with a fried egg, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and finish off with a scattering of shaved parmesan.
Critical pointsTo prepare the asparagus, snap the woody ends off the spears rather than cutting them. That way you can feel the "snap point". Peel the ends to points to allow an even cooking width and to get rid of any stringy or woody parts at the base.
When you come to chargrilling the asparagus, you can use a ladle to press down on to the spears while they're cooking to ensure good contact with the ridges of the pan. The most important thing is not to be tempted to move the vegetable around in the pan to give good, pronounced markings. Also, make sure the heat is high enough when you begin. Baste the spears with oil if they look as though they are drying out a little.
Obviously, the method you choose for frying eggs is a personal thing, and everyone has their own preference. I always fry mine in a black iron 10cm blini pan until a really good crispy crust appears. The added contrast in texture is perfect here.
For your mise en place, shave the parmesan ahead of time; you can also chargrill the asparagus in advance and reheat in a warm oven for four minutes.
Fried eggs should be cooked to order, but you could opt for poached eggs and hold them in cold water to reheat in boiling water later.
