Quail Eggs With Asparagus And Walnut Mayonnaise Food

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Place the asparagus in the basket of a vegetable steamer and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water and drain. Pat dry. Cut each spear in half on a diagonal and cut the bottom of the spears into small dice.
• Melt half of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add all the asparagus and cook, gently stirring, to heat thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet. Add the eggs and whisk in a figure eight, making sure the edges of the eggs don?t stick. When the eggs are almost set, slowly pour in the cream, a little at a time, continuing to whisk briskly.
• Sprinkle in the chives and whisk until the eggs are completely set. Divide the eggs and asparagus evenly among four plates, placing the spears and diced asparagus around the eggs or stack the spears so they lean against the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

DANIEL BOULUD'S LIGHT MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Poach the egg in vinegar water for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place the egg in a blender with the mustard and red wine vinegar and blend with the peanut oil. Add the seasonings at the end.

COLD ASPARAGUS WITH TRUFFLE MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Toss the cold asparagus with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir truffle oil into the mayonnaise. Plate the asparagus. Spoon mayonnaise to one side of asparagus.
• Bring about 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a covered pot large enough to hold the asparagus. Cut the bottom section- usually about 1 to 2 inches off the asparagus stalks with a sharp knife. Peel the asparagus by laying them flat, one at a time, on a cutting board. If the asparagus are thinner than 1/2-inch, use a vegetable peeler and peel the asparagus starting at the base of the tip and peeling them all the way down to the base, eliminating the fibrous peel and revealing the pale green flesh. If the asparagus are very thick or woody, use a paring knife and start peeling from the base. When ready to cook, toss the salt into the boiling water and carefully lower in the asparagus. Turn the heat to low and simmer the asparagus, uncovered, until the spears are easily penetrated with a knife, usually after about 5 minutes but from 1 minute for very thin asparagus to 12 minutes for the very thickest. If serving cold asparagus, plunge the hot cooked asparagus into ice water or rinse under cold water in a colander. Pat dry.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH HAZELNUT-STAR ANISE MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolks, vinegar, citrus juices and zest, honey, salt, pepper, and star anise. While the machine is running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture is emulsified. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chopped hazelnuts for a garnish and process the rest briefly with the mayonnaise. Remove the mayonnaise to a small bowl.
• Fire up the grill. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and lay horizontally across the grill grates. This prevents them from falling through the grates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll the asparagus with tongs to grill them evenly, and don't be afraid to char them a little bit. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the asparagus and the heat of the grill. Medium-thick asparagus takes about 6 minutes.
• On the plate: Arrange the asparagus in bundles on plates. Drape some of the mayonnaise over each bundle. Sprinkle the remaining chopped toasted hazelnuts over the mayonnaise and garnish with orange slices or wedges.

MINI SMOKED HADDOCK SCOTCH EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS DIPPERS & WATERCRESS MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• For the Scotch eggs, tip the potatoes into a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then tip in the haddock and then the quail's eggs. Cook the eggs for exactly 2 mins, then remove them and cool under cold running water. Continue cooking the haddock until it flakes, and the potatoes until soft. Drain the fish and potatoes well, then mash with the butter and milk until you have a thick mash. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, peel the eggs. When everything is cool, pat out spoonfuls of mash mix and mould them around the eggs so that they are completely encased. Roll the covered eggs in the flour, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Chill for 1 hr to firm up, or overnight if you're assembling ahead.
• For the watercress mayonnaise, blitz the watercress with the lemon juice until finely chopped, then stir through the mayonnaise. Blanch the asparagus for 4 mins, then drain under cold water. This can all be done a day in advance.
• To serve, heat a good layer of sunflower oil in a frying pan. Fry the eggs until crisp on all sides, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the asparagus and watercress mayonnaise for dipping everything into.