As I was planning this week’s post, I was debating among several recipe ideas that would be appropriate for this time of the year. I wanted to include a spring vegetable cooked in a simple way and, at the same time, I wanted to find a way to use all those hard boiled eggs that many of us will have decorated for Easter. Steamed spring asparagus and deviled eggs is a lovely dish for the Easter table and one that highlights one of the spring’s first vegetables.
The preparation is easy and it only requires a saucepan and a steamer basket. The list of ingredients is also short: young asparagus, fresh eggs and a handful of pantry staples. I read about this method of cooking perfect boiled eggs that peel easily, from “Cook’s Illustrated”. It is foolproof and works perfectly every time–once you try it, you will never hard boil eggs any other way!
Young spring asparagus:
Eggs in a steamer basket ready to be steamed:
Eggs in an ice bath after steaming:
Easy to peel eggs:
Perfectly cooked eggs (without the dreaded dark ring around the egg yolks:)
Eggs cut in half with the yolks removed and mashed:
It really does not get easier than that! Once you mix the egg yolks with the rest of the ingredients, you can pipe or spoon the mixture into the egg white halves. This can be done a few hours ahead of time, then refrigerated.
Steaming the asparagus is a gentle way of cooking them and you can easily adjust the cooking time to your liking. The asparagus are tossed with a simple shallot vinaigrette, topped with some crumbled egg yolks, and placed in the middle of a large platter. I added a few radishes cut in half, the deviled eggs and the tender leaves of celery around them and sprinkled with some fresh chives over the whole dish.
You can serve the steamed spring asparagus and deviled eggs as an appetizer or a side dish for your Easter table, or, make it a part of a brunch buffet for your next spring gathering. I hope you will like it as much as I enjoyed making it, photographing it and eating it! Happy Easter to all!
- For the deviled eggs:
- 6 large, organic eggs
- 1 TBSP shallots, minced
- --- sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 TBSP. light mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- --- dash of Tabasco sauce
- --- fresh chives, for garnish
- For the asparagus & the shallot vinaigrette:
- 1 lb. young asparagus
- 1 hard boiled egg, peeled
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP. sherry vinegar
- 1 TBSP. shallot, minced
- ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
- --- sea salt & freshly ground pepper
- 4 small radishes, cut in half, for garnish (optional)
- --- tender celery leaves, for garnish (optional)
- Bring 1-inch of water in medium saucepan to a rolling boil over high heat. Place the eggs in a steamer basket and transfer the basket to the saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steam the eggs for 13 minutes.
- When the eggs are almost ready, combine 2 cups ice cubes and 2 cups ice-cold water in a medium bowl. Using tongs or a slotted spoon transfer the eggs from the saucepan to the ice bath; let them sit for 15 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the water and peel--the shells will come off very easily. Cut the eggs in half and gently remove the yolks. Place them in a small mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, taste, and adjust the seasoning. If necessary, you can add more mayonnaise to achieve the consistency that you like.
- Spoon the mixture into the empty egg whites, or, pipe the mixture through a piping bag with a star tip. Top with minced chives or just sprinkle with some paprika. They can be stored in the refrigerator for use later in the same day.
- Prep the asparagus: wash the asparagus and break off the tough, woody ends with your fingers. To do that, bend each spear near the base end and it will break easily at the point where it is no longer tough. If the asparagus are not thin, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer skin of the lower 2 inches of the asparagus spears.
- Make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Place the asparagus in a steamer basket. Bring a shallow pan filled with half an inch of water to a boil. Place the steamer basket in the pan, cover with a lid and steam over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes or until the asparagus are tender but crisp (The cooking time depends on the size of the asparagus.)
- To serve, gently toss the asparagus with the vinaigrette and place on a platter. Arrange the radishes and the celery leaves around the asparagus and top with the crumbled egg yolk.
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I would love to know what you think – please leave me a comment below!
Very colorful. I love spring asparagus!
It was so delicious Kathy – Love tender spring asparagus too!