Recipe: Asparagus with Fried Eggs (Asparagus, Milanese Style)

Asparagus with Fried Eggs (Asparagus, Milanese Style)
rec.food.recipes/SSMNITA/2003
Serves 4

3 pounds asparagus
2/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
4 eggs (for frying)
Salt and black pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs for garnish, chopped

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, and peel the spears with a peeler unless asparagus is very tender. Wash and drain them. Tie them in bunches, making sure the spears are of the same height.

Drop them into boiling salted water, leaving the tips uncovered. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until they are tender but not soft. Drain, untie, and transfer to a serving platter, or arrange the spears on four individual plates, keeping them close together. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a skillet and fry the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks are still soft. Salt and pepper them and place them on the serving platter (or the individual plates), spooning the melted butter on top. The eggs will look better if they are fried one at a time in a small skillet.

Serve with chopped hard-boiled egg sprinkled on top.