I love the recipe redux section of the NY Times. In my entirely biased opinion, it’s one of those columns that a) should be more regular b) should have possibly won the Times the newspaper food section award at the last James Beard awards.
1977: Asparagus Alla Fontina
Recipe Redux: Asparagus Alla Fontina, 1977 (May 9, 2010)
You will need:
- Salt
- 2 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and washed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup grated Gruyère (see note)
- 3/4 cup finely minced or slivered prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender. Drain and cut into 1-to-1½-inch lengths. Return the asparagus to the pot. Add the butter and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set over low heat and stir to melt the butter. Remove from the heat.
2. Turn the asparagus and the melted butter into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Arrange in an even layer. Sprinkle with the Gruyère, prosciutto and parsley. Pour the beaten eggs on top, gently shaking the pan to distribute.
3. Top with the Parmesan and bake until the eggs are set into a custard and a golden-brown crust forms on top, about 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm. Serves 4 to 6.
Note: You may use fontina in place of the Gruyère.
A version of this recipe appeared in print on May 9, 2010, on page MM27 of the Sunday Magazine.
Mmm I’ll have to try this – I’ve been have a cold, or mildly warm, asparagus, petit peas, mint salad with olive oil, a little p&s, a little squeeze of lemon and a lemony zest with a sprinkling of parmesan to top it off. Although, parm shavings would be ever nicer. More texture.
we’ve just been grilling or steaming asparagus and making all kinds of dip sauces for it. I really want to bake something like an asparagus tart or quiche or smth too : ) with parmesan!