Soft Boiled Duck Egg With Bacon Asparagus Soldiers Recipes

EGGS WITH SOLDIERS

Steps:

• Place 4 eggs in a saucepan of boiling water, then cook over low heat, 4 to 5 minutes; drain. Slice off the tops and season with salt and pepper. Serve with toast strips.

SOFT-BOILED EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS SOLDIERS

Steps:

• Cut the woody ends off the asparagus, and cook in a shallow saucepan of boiling water until tender but still has some bite - about 5 minutes. Then drain them and keep them warm while you cook the eggs.
• In a saucepan, bring some water to the boil into which you have dropped a matchstick; according to my Aunt Frieda this stops the white from billowing out into the pan should the egg crack while cooking. Am I going to promise this works? Well, all families have their folklore.
• Lower the eggs into the water and cook them at a steady boil for about 4 minutes. Take them out of the water and immediately slice the top of each one; the yolk should still be runny enough to dip the asparagus spears in.
• Make sure that there's salt on the table for sprinkling into the almost aggressive blandness of the egg and spear, as you eat, with the warm asparagus.

SPICE-RUBBED BACON WITH FRIED EGGS AND TOAST "SOLDIERS"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, add the cayenne, garlic powder, dark brown sugar, black pepper and curry powder and stir to blend. Spread the spice mix on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, separate the bacon slices. Remove the pan from the oven and put the bacon slices, in a single layer, on the spice mix. Turn them over to lightly coat both sides of each slice with the spice mix.
• Arrange the bacon in 2 large skillets and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Note: because of the brown sugar, the bacon is more prone to burning, especially if cooked too quickly over high heat. As the bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer the strips to a paper towel to drain. Drain off any excess grease from the skillets but leave a small layer in each pan.
• Raise the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and put it in the center of the oven. When the bread is toasted, remove from the oven and set aside.
• Return the skillets to the stove over medium-low heat and crack 2 eggs into each skillet. Do not overcrowd. Season them lightly with salt. Cook until desired doneness. Transfer the eggs to a platter and arrange the bacon and the toast around the eggs. Serve immediately.

SOFT BOILED EGGS WITH CRISPY POTATO SOLDIERS

Steps:

• Fill up a large pot halfway with peanut oil and place over medium heat. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Cut the potato into long strips like French fries.
• Gently add the eggs to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and run the eggs under cold running water to stop the cooking process.
• When bubbles start to form in the peanut oil, drop in the potato strips and cook until golden brown. Lift the potatoes out of the oil and drain on a tray lined with paper towels. Toss them in a large bowl with the parsley and garlic with a pair of tongs. Add some sea salt and smoked paprika and continue to toss.
• Place the eggs in egg cups (with the large ends in) and arrange the fries on a small plate on the side. Tap the tops of the eggs and peel away the shells. Cut away the tops of the egg whites. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Dip the fries into the yolks!

ASPARAGUS SOLDIERS WITH A SOFT-BOILED EGG

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan, add the breadcrumbs, then fry until crisp and golden. Season with the spices and flaky sea salt, then leave to cool. Cook the asparagus in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3-5 mins until tender. At the same time, boil the eggs for 3-4 mins. Put each egg in an egg cup on a plate. Drain the asparagus and divide between plates. Scatter over the crumbs and serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH BACON AND HARD-BOILED EGGS

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, then crumble.
• Meanwhile, cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness. (If using both green and white asparagus, cook white asparagus first to keep them from turning green.) Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
• Whisk shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil until emulsified, then whisk in vegetable oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve asparagus drizzled with vinaigrette and topped with eggs, herbs, and bacon.
• Do Ahead: Vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Asparagus can be cooked 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

WARM SALAD OF ASPARAGUS, BACON, DUCK EGG & HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Heat grill to High and cook the bacon for 5 mins until crisp, then snip with scissors into pieces. Set aside. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 mins (5 mins for hen's eggs), drain and plunge into ice water, to cool as quickly as possible.
• Make the dressing: whisk all ingredients together with seasoning. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the base of each spear - it'll break at the tender point.
• Just before serving, put the nuts and bacon into a warm oven. Halve the eggs and season. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil; cook the asparagus for about 5 mins, until just tender. Drain, then divide between plates. Add egg halves, sprinkle with nuts and bacon, then drizzle with dressing in a zigzag pattern.