It is absolutely impossible for me to choose my favorite album of all time. Can you pick one? My partner has come up with a question that he asks all of our friends: “If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one album, which album would you choose?” The album must be an entire album and cannot be a mixed tape or CD. Vinyl of course would be best. So this isn’t necessarily my favorite album of all time but, this is my deserted island pick. Grace by Jeff Buckely. Grace has emotion, it has lyricism, it has Hallelujah, it has harder rock songs. Jeff Buckley’s voice hits my soul and hits deep. I could listen to it on a deserted island over and over again. I think it would actually help me achieve the highest level of Buddhist consciousness.
Asparagus on the other hand has never been a vegetable that I would choose to bring with me, anywhere. Until I learned that oven roasting asparagus (or grilling) deepened the flavor and reduced the bitterness, it would take covering it in bacon and cheese for me to eat it. The Umami butter on this asparagus hits the harder rock note, like Grace and yet the rich egg yolk covering the roasted spears is almost like the smooth qualities of Hallelujah. On top of all of this, asparagus topped with a poached egg is the simplest week night dinner ever.
Vinyl: Jeff Buckley – Grace
Umami Roasted Asparagus with a Poached Egg
Prep Time – 10 minutes
Cook Time – 30 minutes
Total Time – 40 minutes
Serves approx. 2
Ingredients
o 1 tablespoon olive oil
o 1 bunch of green asparagus, ends trimmed
o 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
o 1 tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese
o ¼ teaspoon soy sauce
o ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
o 2 eggs
o Salt, to taste
o Ground black pepper, to taste
Instruction:
1. Turn oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top, mixing to coat.
3. Once oven is heated, roast asparagus for 20 minutes until tender yet still crisp.
4. While asparagus is roasting, take one tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese and mix with the butter, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. This will make your umami butter.
5. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and then reduce heat to a slight simmer. Crack one of the eggs into the water and gently stir the water around the egg. Cook for about 4 minutes so the whites will be soft cooked and the yolk will be runny. Repeat with the second egg.
6. Once the asparagus is done, take the umami butter and add on top of the hot asparagus still on the baking sheet. Mix to coat asparagus.
7. Plate asparagus and gently place poached egg on the spears. Top with a dash of salt and pepper and serve.
8. If you want to make the Parmesan cheese crisps in the picture, start this prior to the asparagus going in the oven. Take at least 4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons for each crisp) and place in two mounds on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before peeling off of sheet to plate.
Notes:
This is possibly the easiest dinner to make that is rich, contains vegetables and will leave you feeling satisfied but not stuffed. Add a few slices of bread if you feel something is missing from your plate.
The umami butter will add depth and flavor to almost any dish and immediately increases the savory aspects. While the dish would taste great without it, I feel that the umami butter really makes this feel like a main dish.
Have some leftover greens or sautéed spinach at home? Those are great topped with a fried or poached egg also!