Asparagus with poached egg and smoked prawns

Name: Asparagus with poached egg and smoked prawns
Yield: Serves 4 as a Starter
Ingredients: a drizzle of vegetable oil; 120 g oak dust or wood chips (for smoking); 250 g medium raw prawns in shell, heads on; 2 tsp finely chopped tarragon; 4 large eggs; 2 tsp finely chopped chervil; 150 g butter; 2 tsp finely chopped dill; 1 tsp white wine vinegar; lemon wedges, to serve; olive oil, to drizzle; dill leaves, to garnish; 16 asparagus spears, trimmed; sea salt and black pepper

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a Starter

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Gourmet Food for a Fiver

By Jason Atherton

Published 2010

About

DIPPING ASPARAGUS INTO SOFT-BOILED EGGS LIKE TOAST FINGERS IS A FUN WAY TO EAT. SMOKED PRAWNS ARE WELL WORTH THE EFFORT; YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUY OAK DUST OR WOOD CHIPS AT A GARDEN CENTRE.

Ingredients

Smoked Prawns:

250 g medium raw prawns in shell, heads on
120 g oak dust or wood chips (for smoking)

Starter
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

To prepare the prawns, remove the shells and the heads, reserving these in a flat-based metal colander or steamer. Rinse the prawns, drain and refrigerate in a covered bowl.
Scatter the oak dust evenly in a heavy-based pan (over which the colander will sit snugly), and place over a medium heat. Fit the colander of shells into the pan. When the dust starts to sm