Yea, asparagus is in season again. It seems an age since we have been able to bite into those juicy stems, dripping with butter or olive oil. But which? Butter is the traditional choice, but extra virgin olive oil is lighter. Both support the inclusion of a fried or poached egg and shavings of parmesan cheese, so what to do? The same dilemma once faced the asparagus-loving French gourmet, mathematician and encyclopaedist Bernard de Fontenelle (1657-1757).

According to the food historian Waverley Root, Fontenelle was looking forward to a simple supper of asparagus being prepared by his cook in his favourite manner — with an oil dressing. But on this night, he had a guest, the Abbé Terrason, who preferred his asparagus with butter. Fontenelle could not appear to be inhospitable, so he ordered that half should be dressed with oil, the other half with butter.

But just as dinner was about to be served, the Abbé fell dead to the floor with apoplexy. Fontenelle jumped up and rushed to the kitchen, calling out to his cook: “The whole with oil! The whole with oil!”

Ingredients

Serves 2 or 4
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min

1kg fresh asparagus
a wedge of parmesan
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp butter
2 or 4 eggs
butter or extra virgin olive oil for serving
sea salt and pepper

METHOD

Snap the asparagus and discard the woody ends. Lay the stalks flat in a wide pan of simmering salted water, or steam over boiling water, and remove after 4 to 5 mins, when tender but still bright green. Use a vegetable peeler to create parmesan shavings, about 5 per person. Melt butter and oil in a non-stick frying pan, break the eggs into the pan, cover and cook over very low heat until the white is glossy and set and the yolk is just set. Drain the asparagus well and toss in your choice of butter or extra virgin olive oil. Top with a fried egg, scatter with parmesan shavings, salt and pepper and serve.

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