Asparagus Salad with Butter Poached Pullet Egg, Tempura Fiddleheads, and Smoked-Dulse Sabayon
From YankeeMagazine.com — May 2008
Vegetables Recipes | Salads Recipes
Preparation Time: 50 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Rob Evans created this dish using the eggs of young chickens, wild fiddlehead ferns, and dulse -- wild algae that "adds a nice brininess and really speaks of place. It also adds depth and an umami element." Umami refers to the Asian concept of a fifth sense, ingredients that draw out the flavor or "deliciousness" of other ingredients.
- 18 asparagus spears, trimmed of tough ends, divided
- Kosher or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 8 fresh pullet eggs (or fresh small eggs), divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons Dulse Vinegar (see recipe below)
- 1-1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Maine dulse flakes
- Canola oil (for frying)
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 70g baking powder
- 5 cups flour
- Soda water
- Pickled Fiddleheads (see recipe below)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Garnish: chervil sprigs
1. Using a vegetable peeler, make ribbons from 6 asparagus spears. Blanch the remaining spears in salted water, then place in ice water. Strain and dry on paper towels. Repeat with asparagus ribbons. Set aside.
2. Lay an 8-by-8-inch sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface and brush with melted butter. Crack one egg in the center. Pull up all four corners to form a pouch. Grasp plastic wrap close to egg to remove the air; twist the plastic tight. Tie in a knot with the plastic as close to the egg as possible, creating an airtight pouch. Trim excess wrap at the top of the knot. Repeat with remaining eggs.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer eggs (in pouches) for 8 minutes. Remove eggs and let stand, warm, until ready to use.
4. Unwrap two poached eggs and place in blender or food processor. Add Dijon mustard, sugar, and 3 tablespoons Dulse Vinegar. Blend until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup olive oil until completely blended and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in dulse flakes. Cover and chill.
5. Heat 3 inches canola oil in a large cast-iron frypan or deep-fat fryer to 350°.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, baking powder, and flour. Pour half of dry ingredients into a second bowl. Whisk enough soda water into one bowl of dry mixture to form a pancake-batter consistency. Let sit 5 minutes.
7. Remove fiddleheads from pickling liquid. Add to dry mixture and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. Gently shake excess dry mixture from fiddleheads; then place in batter to coat. Gently shake off excess and place in hot oil; fry until golden. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels.
8. In a large bowl, combine asparagus spears and ribbons, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil. Divide and arrange asparagus onto 6 serving plates. Remove eggs from plastic and place one on top of each asparagus serving. Place 4 fried fiddleheads around asparagus. Spoon a dollop of chilled dulse "sabayon" over each egg. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chervil sprigs.
Dulse Vinegar
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 8-inch piece smoked Maine dulse
In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a simmer; don't boil it. Place dulse in a small bowl and pour hot vinegar over it. Let cool to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain and discard dulse.
Pickled Fiddleheads
- 5 cups water, divided
- 1 cup vinegar
- 2 tablespoons coriander
- 2 tablespoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Kosher or sea salt
- 24 fiddlehead ferns, tightly closed and well rinsed
In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil 2 cups water, vinegar, coriander, allspice, red-pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Chill and strain. Discard solids. Wipe pan clean and bring 3 cups salted water to boil. Blanch fiddleheads until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain and add to pickling liquid while still hot. Cover and chill overnight.
Adapted from Hugo's recipe
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