Warm asparagus salad with grilled smoked bacon, boiled duck eggs, toasted hazelnuts, and a hazelnut oil, cider vinegar, and French mustard dressing.
I first saw this salad in a British cookbook that called for duck eggs, which I had never cooked with before. Luckily I was able to find some at the local farmer’s market here in Holland! Three duck eggs boiled for exactly 8 minutes, plunged into ice water, peeled, and halved. The yolks were deeper orange and creamier than any hen’s egg I had seen. The salad was built around them: asparagus, smoked streaky bacon grilled crisp, toasted hazelnuts, and a dressing of hazelnut oil, rapeseed oil, cider vinegar, and smooth French mustard.
The hazelnut oil in the dressing is what kind of binds everything together on the plate. It echoes the toasted hazelnuts and pairs with the smoky bacon in a way that olive oil would not. If you cannot find duck eggs, five regular hen’s eggs boiled for 5 minutes give you a similar soft yolk. But if you can find them, use them. They’re pretty awesome to be honest!
Warm Asparagus Salad with Bacon, Egg, and Hazelnuts
Grill the Bacon, Boil the Eggs
Heat your grill to high. Lay the bacon rashers under the grill and cook for about 5 minutes until crisp. Snip into pieces with scissors. Set aside.
Meanwhile, boil the eggs: 8 minutes for duck eggs, 5 minutes for hen’s eggs. Drain immediately and plunge into ice water. Peel when cool enough to handle and halve.
Make the Dressing and Assemble
Whisk together the hazelnut oil, rapeseed oil, cider vinegar, and smooth French mustard with salt and pepper. The dressing should be emulsified and pourable.
Cook the asparagus (grilled, roasted, or blanched) until tender but still firm. Arrange on plates with the bacon pieces, halved eggs, and toasted hazelnuts. Drizzle the dressing over everything and serve warm.
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Warm Asparagus Salad with Bacon, Egg and Hazelnuts
Total Time: 28 minutes
Yield: Serves 2
Diet: Omnivore
Description
Warm asparagus, crispy bacon, and a soft egg make this a perfect brunch or light lunch. A tangy mustard vinaigrette ties it all together.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Heat grill to High (538°C) and cook the bacon for 5 minutes until crisp, then snip with scissors into pieces. Set aside.
- Cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 minutes (5 minutes for hen’s eggs), drain and plunge into ice water to cool.
- Make the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together with seasoning.
- Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the base of each spear.
- Just before serving, put the nuts and bacon into a warm oven. Halve the eggs and season.
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil; cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes, until just tender.
- Drain the asparagus, then divide between plates.
- Add egg halves, sprinkle with nuts and bacon, then drizzle with dressing in a zigzag pattern.
Notes
- For perfectly cooked asparagus, avoid overcooking; it should be tender-crisp.
- If you don’t have hazelnuts, substitute with walnuts or pecans.
- Leftovers can be stored separately (asparagus, bacon, eggs) in airtight containers for up to 2 days and reassembled before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: British-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 200
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find duck eggs?
Farmers markets, speciality food shops, or Asian grocery stores often carry them. They are larger than hen’s eggs with a richer, creamier yolk. If unavailable, use 5 large hen’s eggs and boil for 5 minutes instead of 8.
What is hazelnut oil?
A nutty, aromatic oil pressed from toasted hazelnuts. Sold in the oil section of well-stocked supermarkets or speciality food stores. A small amount transforms a dressing. No real substitute captures the same flavour.
Can I serve this cold?
You can, but warm is better. The bacon should be freshly grilled, the asparagus just cooked, and the eggs still slightly warm. Cold components lose the contrast of temperatures that makes this salad special.