The only thing better than a pair of buttery-rich crispy-edged runny-centered sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast, is a pair of lemon-luscious, crispy-edged runny-centered sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast. Lightly-seasoned to perfection with a few grinds of sea salt and a nice peppercorn blend, once on my plate, I'm ready to catch my toast the instant it pops up, sit down, and luxuriate in the dipping process until every drop of liquid gold and tender bite of white is gone. All gone.
Oil-frying eggs is more common than one might think.
I didn't invent oil-fried eggs, and, culturally, it's more common that one might think. Cooks have been frying eggs in animal fat, oil, margarine and butter for as long as people have been eating fried eggs. I can, however, say that when I do oil-fry eggs, I use either chili- garlic or lemon-infused oil. It just makes sense. Generic olive oil, unless it is flavor-infused, pales in comparison to the taste of butter, so, why bother. That said, I truly can't remember the first time I decided to throw a few asparagus spears into the skillet with my lemon-infused olive-oil fried eggs, and, it hardly matters. What does matter is that one morning, when I opened my refrigerator to get my eggs, a glass containing some freshly-picked asparagus spears just happened to be right there.
Infused-oil fried eggs are tastier than one can imagine.
1-1 1/2 tablespoons lemon-infused olive oil
2 extra-large or jumbo eggs
3-6 thin-to-medium thickness fresh asparagus spears
freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend
~ Step 1. Tap, crack and break the eggs into a ramekin -- I do this to make certain the yolks don't break when they drop into the pan. If time permits, allow eggs to come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
~Step 2. Heat oil in a 8" skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl skillet around to make sure oil coats entire bottom. Carefully slide the eggs from the ramekin into the skillet. Cook until the whites turn a bit opaque, add the asparagus spears wherever there is room, then, season everything with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until eggs are done to your liking. Slide eggs and asparagus from skillet to plate and serve immediately.
To change it up, try them with garlic- or chili-infused EVOO too:
Asparagus and Eggs Fried in Lemon-Infused EVOO: Recipe yields 1 serving.
Special Equipment List: ramekin; 8" nonstick skillet
Cook's Note: When it comes to cooking asparagus via any method, freshness always matters more than thickness, and, even the best asparagus recipes are subject to failure if this delicate vegetable isn't treated with care. ~ Choosing, Prepping and Storing Amazing Asparagus ~ is a must read for anyone who's looking to get acquainted with this seasonal but very versatile vegetable.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)
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