On an afternoon in May, a favorite Provençal bistro served us this utterly delicious and totally beautiful spring salad of blanched asparagus, a perfect poached egg draped with a shiny, fragrant slice of ham from the French Basque region, and a tangle of soft greens.

　　

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

　　16 green asparagus spears (1 pound), trimmed

　　4 ultra-fresh large eggs

　　1 tablespoon distilled vinegar

　　4 cups torn soft greens, such as buttercrunch lettuce

　　1/4 cup minced fresh chives

　　Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing

　　4 thin slices top-quality ham

　　Fine sea salt

　　Coarse, freshly ground black pepper

　　Toast, for serving

　　

Special Equipment

5-quart pasta pot fitted with a colander; 4 ramekins or small cups ; a flat, fine-mesh sieve or a large slotted spoon

　　

Step 1

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

　　

Step 2

Fill the pasta pot with 3 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the coarse salt and the asparagus. Blanch, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. (Cooking time will vary according to the size and tenderness of the asparagus.) Immediately remove the colander from the water, letting the water drain from the asparagus. Plunge the asparagus into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possible and retain their crispness and bright green color. (The asparagus will cool in 1 to 2 minutes. After that, they will soften and begin to lose crispness and flavor.) Drain the asparagus and wrap it in a thick kitchen towel to dry. (Do not cook the asparagus in advance or it will lose its crispness.)

　　

Step 3

Break each egg into a ramekin or small cup. Set aside. In a large, shallow saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the vinegar. One by one, bring the edge of a ramekin or cup level with the surface of the water and slide the egg in gently. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Poach the eggs until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny and are covered with a thin, translucent layer of white, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 4

With the sieve or slotted spoon, carefully lift the eggs from the water and transfer them to several thicknesses of paper towels.

　　

Step 5

Place the salad greens and chives in a large salad bowl. Toss with just enough dressing to coat the greens lightly and evenly.

　　

Step 6

Place the asparagus on a large plate and add just enough dressing to lightly coat the spears. Roll the asparagus in the dressing.

　　

Step 7

Arrange the dressed greens at one side of each of 4 large dinner plates. (Rectangular plates are particularly beautiful here.) Carefully place a poached egg alongside. Arrange 4 asparagus spears next to the eggs. Carefully drape a slice of ham over each of the poached eggs. Season the greens lightly with fine sea salt and generously with pepper. Sprinkle with chives. Serve with the toast.

　　Wine Suggestion

　　This salad calls out for a crisp white, a northern wine that will pair nicely with the egg, ham, and asparagus. One wine that can generally be found in our cellar in Paris is the Coteaux du Giennois, Domaine de Villargeau. It’s a 100% Sauvignon Blanc and comes from very flinty soils near the Pouilly Fumé vineyards. It’s a touch salty, chalky, and smoky and pairs nicely with the star ingredients in this salad.

　　From Salad as a Meal © 2011 by William Morrow. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.Reprinted with permission from HarperCollins.