The Food Lab's Micro-Steamed Asparagus With Poached Egg and Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe
Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.
[Photograph and video: J. Kenji López-Alt]
A poached egg and walnut vinaigrette round out this steamed asparagus, made by harnessing the power of your microwave. You can also use the vinaigrette on roasted vegetables, like beets or sweet potatoes, or on robust bitter greens, such as radicchio, endive, or frisée.
This recipe is excerpted from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. You can order the book here or on Amazon, and sign up for The Food Lab Newsletter for news about upcoming events.
Why It Works
- Since a microwave very efficiently and rapidly uses the liquid inside the vegetables themselves to heat them from the inside, you can micro-steam the asparagus in a matter of minutes.
- Straining eggs in a fine-mesh strainer removes excess wispy, loose whites, creating tight, perfectly shaped eggs.
Read more: The Food Lab: How to Steam Vegetables in the Microwave
- Yield:Serves 2
- Active time: 5 minutes
- Total time:10 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (225g) asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed off, stalks peeled if desired
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Foolproof Poached Eggs, kept warm in a bowl of hot water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Walnut Vinaigrette
Directions
-
1.
Place asparagus in an even layer on a large microwave-safe plate and season with salt and pepper. Lay a triple layer of damp paper towels on top of asparagus, completely covering them, or cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Microwave on high power until asparagus is bright green and tender but still crisp, 2 1/2 to 6 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.
-
2.
Remove asparagus and arrange on warmed serving plates. Top with poached eggs, drizzle with vinaigrette, and serve.
This Recipe Appears In
The Food Lab: How to Steam Vegetables in the MicrowaveThis post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
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