You poach white spears until a knife meets only slight resistance, then dress them while they are still warm with a sharp vinaigrette and a scatter of chopped egg. The taste is mineral, faintly bitter, the texture almost meat. It is a brief season and a serious one.
The Loire and the Landes grow the white asparagus France waits for each spring; the spears are earthed up to keep them pale. You eat it as a first course, with Sancerre, while the rest of the market is still catching up.
Peel from just below the tip to the base, or the stems will be stringy. Dress them warm, not hot and not cold. Walnut oil if you have it; olive oil if you do not.
Method
- 01
Peel the asparagus from just below the tip all the way to the base — the stems are stringy if you skip this, and there is no hiding it on the plate. Trim the woody ends. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool them under running water, then peel and chop them coarsely. You want distinct pieces of white and yolk, not a crumble.
- 02
Simmer the spears in well-salted water until a knife meets only slight resistance, 10 to 15 minutes depending on their thickness. White asparagus is denser than green; it will take longer than you think. Drain them well, and let them steam off a moment so the vinaigrette is not diluted. They should be tender, faintly mineral, and still warm.
- 03
Whisk the mustard with the vinegar, salt and pepper until the salt dissolves, then beat in the oil in a thin stream until the vinaigrette thickens and turns creamy. Walnut oil if you have it; olive oil if you do not. Fold in the minced shallot. Taste: it should be sharp enough to cut the richness of the spears, not a polite dressing.
- 04
Arrange the warm asparagus on plates — warm, not hot and not cold — and spoon the vinaigrette over them generously. Scatter with the chopped egg and a snip of chives. The egg is there for richness and a little texture against the silk of the spear. Serve at once, while the vinaigrette still glistens.
