Ingredients for 4 people:16 asparagus spears 4 eggs4 slices homemade-style Tuscan bread4 tbsp Asparagina1 clove of garlic1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus a drizzle on top of the finished dish) 500 ml milk1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 200 g grated aged pecorino cheese½ tsp nutmeg salt and pepper
Wash the asparagus spears and pat them dry; use a sharp knife to cut off the tough bottom end, then scrape off the outer layer of the stalk with a knife (or a peeler). Cut them into pieces approx. 2 cm long, and blanch them in a saucepan with plenty of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of asparagus from the water and transfer them into a heavy-bottomed frying pan, in which you have already heated the clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half, with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for a couple of minutes; then turn off the heat and set aside. For the fondue: put the milk in a small saucepan in a bain-marie; when it is hot – it mustn’t boil – add the grated pecorino and nutmeg and stir with a whisk until smooth and creamy (if any lumps remain, try using an immersion blender). Distribute the fondue over the bottom of the plates. Toast the slices of bread on both sides, spread the Asparagina on them and place them on the plates, in the centre of the fondue. Now comes the most delicate part, poaching the eggs: put a small saucepan on the stove with plenty of water and the vinegar. When it reaches 60 °C, as soon it starts to simmer, carefully break an egg into a little bowl (the yolk mustn’t break), use a whisk to create a vortex in the water and very delicately slide the egg into the centre; stir with a fork to keep the vortex “alive”. After 2-3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the egg and carefully lay it on top of one of the slices of bread. Repeat this operation with the other eggs. Complete each plate with the pieces of asparagus set aside earlier, a drizzle of olive oil and a little freshly ground pepper. If the egg is cooked correctly, the yolk should be creamy when cut.