CookEat Recipe
Poached Eggs on Asparagus Purée
Poached eggs on fresh asparagus purée finished with cream, butter and demi-glace.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Preheat a conventional oven to 400°F. Put the ten quarts cold water in a very large stockpot with ample headroom and begin heating. Have a butcher clean and cut the two fresh raw white calf feet into small pieces. Put them in a roasting pan with the half pound raw ham cut into pieces, one pound veal bones, two carrots, two onions and two leeks, all sliced, the three branches parsley root and one celery branch, sliced. Add the ten cloves, four bay leaves, twenty whole allspice berries, two tablespoons whole black peppercorns, one teaspoon thyme and one and a half tablespoons salt. Spread about four tablespoons rendered pork lard over the vegetables and roast until the bones, meat and vegetables are golden, without burning.
Step 2
Transfer the complete roasted mixture to the stockpot and add the one pint canned tomatoes. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for thirty minutes. Cover, lower the heat and keep at a gentle simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Before proceeding, check that the meat on the feet and the ham have each reached at least 70°C for two minutes, probing away from bone.
Step 3
In a second very large saucepan, heat the three ounces butter, stir in the six tablespoons flour and cook for twenty minutes, stirring regularly, until the roux is thoroughly brown. Carefully pour the hot stock mixture into the roux, mixing well. Keep at a very gentle simmer for twelve hours, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat to prevent catching.
Step 4
Mix in the half pint sherry, then strain through a clean fine conical strainer into clean heat-safe containers, removing all bones and aromatics. Measure one gill of the actual finished demi-glace for this sauce. Loosen that measured portion with a little hot ready-to-use unsalted veal broth until somewhat fluid, and keep all of it hot for immediate use. Rapidly cool the remaining demi-glace in shallow containers and refrigerate at 40°F or below within two hours; use within forty-eight hours or freeze.
Step 5
Trim the tough ends from one bunch fresh green asparagus. Boil the tender pieces in the one quart water for the asparagus with half a teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon sugar for about twenty-five minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and press the asparagus through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
Step 6
Add the separate half ounce butter, two tablespoons cream, two saltspoons salt, three saltspoons sugar and half a saltspoon grated nutmeg. Mix over heat for two minutes, then spread all the hot purée over a hot serving dish.
Step 7
Meanwhile bring the separate three and a half quarts water to a boil in a broad low-sided pan giving at least four inches depth. Add one tablespoon vinegar. Wet a clean dinner plate with the separate one tablespoon cold water. Crack the twelve commercially pasteurized intact shell eggs onto the plate without breaking the yolks and gently slide into the water, in batches if necessary. Poach for about three minutes until the whites are set; pasteurized shell eggs are required for this soft-yolk service.
Step 8
Lift and trim the eggs with clean utensils and arrange all twelve on the asparagus purée. Pour all the loosened one-gill demi-glace portion over and serve promptly.
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