Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Herb vinaigrette:
- 45ml red wine vinegar
- 30ml fresh lemon juice
- 45ml olive oil
- 4 Tbsp fresh soft herbs, chopped (basil, coriander & Italian parsley work well)
- 1 tsp honey
- 8 large Portobello mushrooms, whole
- 350g asparagus, ends trimmed
- 4 XL free-range eggs, room temperature
- Watercress, to serve
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
For the vinaigrette:
- Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
For the veg:
- Preheat oven to 200˚C, fan on.
- Place portobellos on a baking tray.
- Spoon a little of the vinaigrette onto the mushrooms.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, depending on size, until tender and juicy.
- While the mushrooms are baking, bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
- Prepare an ice bath and have it ready next to the stove.
- Lower the asparagus into the boiling water.
- Cook for about 1 minute, depending on the thickness of the stems.
- Using tongs, remove the asparagus and plunge into ice water for a few minutes until cool.
- Drain and dry the asparagus on a clean kitchen towel.
- Using the same boiling water – add the 4 eggs gently, stir well to keep yolks in the centre, and set a timer for 6.5 minutes.
- Refresh the ice bath if necessary.
- When the timer goes off, plunge the eggs immediately into the ice bath and leave them until cool enough to handle easily.
- Peel the eggs and set aside until serving.
To serve:
- Slice the portobellos into halves or quarters.
- Plate along with the asparagus.
- Slice the eggs in half and dot around the serving platter. Season.
- Tuck the nutrient dense watercress in and around the plated veg and eggs for a pop of green and a good dose of antioxidants.
- Drizzle everything with the herb vinaigrette and serve!
