Jammy Egg and Asparagus Salad
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This dish is perfect for Memorial Day weekend and any other spring or summer day:
Jammy Egg and Asparagus Salad
This recipe all started because I was loading up on groceries and spotted asparagus. In lay propped up in the front of the produce department, beautifully bundled, just begging to come home with me. How could I deny it? It is asparagus season after all.
My initial recipe ideas for sharing on Inherited Salt were pretty basic: maybe roasted, maybe grilled, maybe sautéed in the skillet - nothing new, nothing that really excited me, but I wanted to honor this beautiful seasonal offering with a blog post.
I started digging into my ultimate muse of inspiration: The Flavor Bible. This glorious book matches every food under the sun with it’s best flavor companions. And it was like stepping into the Looking Glass - my dull asparagus vision turned topsy turvy and became this glorious magical creature in a league all of it’s own.
This recipe involves blanching, soft boiling, pickling - which might sound like a lot, but I SWEAR it isn’t. It’s actually sooooooooo so so easy - half of it can be done days in advance, and you can substitute or omit ingredients as needed! And if you still doubt me, ABBA said it best: “Take a chance on me - that’s all I ask of you Honey - take a chance on me.”
Some asparagus and soft-boiled (aka: “jammy”) egg FAQs:
What is the “woody” end of asparagus?
The “woody” end is the base of the asparagus that’s harder and more fibrous than the rest of the stem. It’s not a part you wanna eat, so you simply snap it off - It’s very easy to remove the woody end, because the stem will naturally snap where the woody part and tender part meet.
What can you eat asparagus with?
So many things! On it it’s own, in risotto (like my Parmesan Spring Risotto), in pasta, on pizza, in eggs, with tomatoes, with lemon, in soup, in salad, raw - asparagus is very versatile.
What does it mean to “blanch” a vegetable?
Blanching veggies, means you quickly cook them in boiling water and remove with seconds or a couple minutes. It’s very fast, you want the vegetable to keep a snap - no mushy veggies - nice fresh, vibrant, bright green veggies. A lot of times you shock the blanched vegetables in an ice bath, but I don’t think it’s necessary for this particular recipe.
What is a “jammy” egg?
It’s just a fun millennial term for soft boiled eggs. Similar to hard boiled, but you pull them before the yolk fully cooks and still has a nice custardy - or JAMMY - interior. They can be cooked anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes. I think 7 ½ minutes is the perfect egg - but if you want it runnier, aim for 6 minutes, want it to be mostly firm, go for 8!
Can you make soft boiled (jammy) eggs in advance?
Yep! You can make them up to 3 days before eating them! Just keep them stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Jammy Egg and Asparagus Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 small shallot, sliced thin
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt, 1 pinch
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut on a bias into 3” pieces
- ⅓ cup Creamy Lemon Tarragon Dressing
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shaved
- 2 tablespoons pickled mustard seeds (optional)
- Flakey sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- At least 30 to 60 minutes before serving (or can be done a few days in advance), place sliced shallot in a small bowl, cover with lemon juice, mix in pinch of kosher salt, and set aside to quickly “pickle”.
- Jammy eggs can be made up to 3 days in advance (store in refrigerator), but it’s great to prep the rest of the salad while the shallot steeps in lemon juice if you’re making it all just before you serve!
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium so water is softly boiling and simmering. Gently lower eggs into water using a slotted spoon, and cook for 7 ½ minutes. Immediately transfer cooked eggs to an ice bath to prevent further cooking and keep their yolks perfectly jammy. Kepp in ice bath, occasionally stirring to distribute cooling evenly, for at least 5 to 10 minutes.
- To remove shell, gently crack all over, and begin peeling from the large end of the egg - that’s where the air pocket is, and it’ll be easier to start from there.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds to the skillet and toast for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and skillet and set aside.
- When all that’s left to make is asparagus, bring a large seasoned pot of water to a boil over high heat. And by “seasoned” I mean that water should be as salty as the sea!
- Once water boils, stir in asparagus and blanch for 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes. If your asparagus is very thin, you only need to blanch for one minute (maybe less!) - but if your asparagus is really thick, you’ll probably need to keep it in the boiling water for 2 ½ minutes. Mine were an average medium thickness, so I blanched for 2 minutes.
- Once you’re done blanching, immediately strain the asparagus - it should dry pretty quickly from it’s own heat.
- Arrange asparagus on platter and add peeled jammy eggs cut in half or quarters or a mix of both! Then garnish with dressing, pickled shallots, parmesan, pickled mustard seed (if you have it), herbs, toasted almonds, grind some pepper on top, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and serve!
- Great at room temperature or chilled.
