Recipe: Poached egg with smoked salmon and grilled asparagus

One of the best breakfasts to wake up to in the morning is poached eggs. Simple, yes, but what an amazing sight when you poke the yolk and it just oozes out. I like to call that 'a little sunshine on the plate'.

Poached egg with smoked salmon and grilled asparagus

Eating a breakfast which contains eggs will help fuel your body and mind. A recent scientific study shows that eating eggs for breakfast can also help overweight dieters lose more weight, lower their body mass index, and shrink their waist more than people who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories. People who eat eggs for breakfast also tend to feel more satisfied and eat fewer calories in the next meal. See more incredible egg tips here. 

Asparagus has a wonderful affinity with eggs, and I actually find myself pairing these together a lot of the time. To make this an even more luxurious breakfast, I am serving it with some Scottish smoked salmon. Ah yes, this was definitely one of the best breakfasts we had in Scotland while on holiday. If you're in the UK, try Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range, which I have loved for years.

Taste the Difference Chestnut Smoked Scottish Salmon with Lemon Oil and Basil

There are a few ways for cooking the perfect poached egg. One that I always use in KL is the whirlpool method or the cling film method. However, if you can get your hands on very fresh eggs (in the UK just pick any box of free range eggs off the supermarket shelf and it will be super fresh - I am so jealous!), all you need to do is bring a pot of salted water to the boil, then lower to a simmer, and drop the eggs into the water. No need for whirlpools and cling films, this works everytime! To know if your egg is super fresh, when you break it into a bowl, it will have a rounded plump yolk and the egg white will be gathered closely around the yolk and has a thicker, gelatinous layer. As it becomes less fresh, the egg white gradually becomes more "watery" hence why we need to use cling films to keep the white from disintegrating in the water. Another method to tell if the eggs are fresh is to immerse them in water - see photo 3 on this page.

The rich, silky yolk enveloping the tender asparagus tips and complemented by the slightly salty smoked salmon makes this a winning dish!

And after that wonderful breakfast of poached egg with smoked salmon and grilled asparagus, we moved on to another gorgeous meat and cheese platter put together by Hubby. Here we have French brie (we didn't eat the whole thing in one sitting, don't worry), prosciutto (Parma ham), cherry tomatoes, Walker cheese and onion crisps, and 100% Iberico chorizo.

A gorgeous meat and cheese platter

Poached egg with smoked salmon and grilled asparagus
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: under 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 fresh large free-range eggs (at room temperature)
8 stalks British asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded
60g (1/2 pack) Scottish smoked salmon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Fill a small saucepan about half-full with water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a low heat to a bare simmer. Break the eggs into a small bowl and slide into the water. Cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes, until the egg white has set and yolk is cooked to your liking. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and rest the spoon on kitchen paper for few seconds to absorb any excess water.

2. For the asparagus, spread evenly on a baking tray, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place under a hot grill for 5-6 minutes and cook until tender. Turn halfway through.

3. To serve, wrap the smoked salmon around the asparagus ends, then place the poached egg on top. Season with some salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by me (Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out). You can link your egg recipes here.


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