Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute and then plunge into iced water for 1 minute. Drain on some kitchen paper
iced water
16 asparagus spears, trimmed and washed
1 pinch of salt
2
Prepare 3 bowls for crumbing. Add flour to the first, 2 beaten eggs to the second and breadcrumbs to the third
100g of plain flour
2 eggs, whisked
100g of breadcrumbs
3
Coat each asparagus spear in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs until evenly coated
4
Heat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. While it heats, draw faces on the eggs in non-toxic pen or pencil
500ml of vegetable oil
6 eggs
5
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Lower the eggs into the boiling water and cook for around 3 1/2 minutes for soft boiled, 6-7 minutes for hard boiled
6
Meanwhile, fry the asparagus (do this in 2 batches of 8) for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Drain well on kitchen paper and season with salt
1 pinch of salt
7
Place each egg in an egg cup, remove the tops and serve with the crispy asparagus soldiers