Nothing reminds me of my childhood more than dippy eggs and soldiers. So naturally, as an adult, I’ve created my own version. Instead of toast, I’ve swapped in asparagus spears wrapped in flaky pastry with parmesan butter.
I am a dippy egg girl, and believe 4.5 minutes in boiling water is the perfect amount of time to create soft yolky eggs.
ASPARAGUS SOLDIERS, DIPPY EGGS
This is a perfect weekend breakfast, in my opinion.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Ingredients
- 50 g salted butter softened
- 30 g parmesan plus extra for topping, very finely grated
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 a 320g puff pastry sheet save the rest for something else
- 350 g asparagus try and get thin stems, if they are chunkier you can slice them in half lengthways, woody ends trimmed
- olive oil
- 4 eggs
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Method
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Preheat the oven to 180°c (fan-assisted), and pop in a large baking tray to preheat.
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Combine the butter, parmesan, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and a few good generous cracks of black pepper in a bowl. Beat until combined and creamy, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
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Unroll your puff pastry sheet on a chopping board. Spread over the butter, right up to the edges. Take each asparagus spear and place it on top of the puff pastry, pushing each spear into the pastry gently. Use a sharp knife to cut round the asparagus spear, leaving a very small edge all the way around. Use a pastry brush to glaze each asparagus soldier with a little olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then very lightly grate a little extra parmesan over the top. Gently transfer the asparagus soldiers onto the pre-heated baking tray, then bake for 18-24 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and the crust is a deep golden.
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When your asparagus soldiers have 5 minutes left to cook, bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Gently lower in the eggs, and cook for 4.5 minutes, for a runny yolk. Slice the top of the eggs, and serve alongside the asparagus soldiers, with a extra pinch of salt over everything, if you like.
If you love asparagus and want to make the most of the season, you’ll enjoy my Asparagus Cacio e Pepe recipe. Or, for more recipe inspiration, check out my Instagram.
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