Whenever I’m eating anything really good, I have the impulse to share it with you. We have this delicious combination for brunch most Saturday mornings after yoga, and while I always think I should post it, I’ve hesitated because it just seemed too simple. However, while we were eating this amazing breakfast this past Saturday, my fellow diners, who thankfully have not yet tired of discussing the nuances of my blog, enthusiastically encouraged me to share this.
This is a straightforward dish that allows each ingredient to really shine through. The flavors all complement each other and this is one of those combos that is way greater than the sum of its parts. It’s just dynamite! I serve this as a lovely brunch dish and also as a healthy dinner option when I’m looking for something delicious and fast.
This recipe is made even quicker by the technique my son Oliver invented for quickly and easily cooking crispy bacon pieces (OK, maybe invented is a bit of an overstatement…but I never thought of it). I find frying individual strips of bacon annoying. Grease invariably and randomly pops out of the pan burning my forearm, the stove gets splattered and messy, and it takes a long time. Cutting raw bacon into pieces before cooking, and frying it in a covered pan, takes a fraction of the time and solves all those problems.
Asparagus can be baked, grilled, or simmered. Baking and grilling tend to dehydrate them a bit, which can be delicious. For this dish, I prefer the plump greenness of simmered asparagus. And, cooking them in a pan of water is extremely fast and simple.
We get the most delicious, farm-fresh eggs from a farm on the fabled North Shore of Oahu. They’re so pretty and multi-colored that I just have to show them to you.
Enjoy!
- 6 ounces bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2" chunks (no need to separate them into individual strips, see photo)
- 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2-2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmesan Reggiano which is the best
- 4 large eggs
- salt to taste
- Put bacon pieces in a medium pan and cover.
- Turn heat to medium low and cook covered, stirring frequently, until bacon pieces separate.
- Once pieces have separated you can speed up the cooking by turning heat to medium high. Cook covered, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spatula and put on plate with a paper towel to drain.
- Cook asparagus while bacon is cooking. Place asparagus in a large deep skillet with water to cover. Bring water to simmer and cook asparagus on medium heat until crisp-tender when pierced with a fork. (slightly undercook because they will continue to cook as they are kept warm in the oven). Remove asparagus with tongs (or alternately, carry entire pan carefully to the sink and dump out).
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- Divide asparagus between 2 dinner plates.
- In the same pan you'll be using to fry the eggs, melt butter gently until just melted. I recommend a nonstick pan. Using a pastry brush, brush about half the butter on the asparagus. Leave remaining butter in the pan for egg frying.
- Sprinkle asparagus, on their plates, with half the parmesan and the bacon pieces.
- Put plates in oven to keep warm and lightly melt the Parmesan, while you cook the eggs.
- Heat remaining butter in pan and fry eggs to desired doneness.
- Remove plates from oven (use pot holders!) and carefully place eggs on top of asparagus and bacon. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of eggs and serve immediately.
