Asparagus with mushrooms and poached egg

Ingredients

24 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed and discarded
120g unsalted butter
6 large portobello mushrooms, sliced horizontally into 2mm-thick rounds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
5g thyme sprigs
Salt and black pepper
10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
4 eggs, poached just before serving
½ tsp truffle oil

Prep 15-20 minCook 1 hr 20 minServes 4

Be careful when cutting and cooking the mushrooms: you want perfect round discs for this. Fry any misshapen or broken pieces separately and serve on the side.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for three to four minutes, until al dente. Strain, refresh under cold water and set aside.
Melt half the butter in a large saute pan on a medium heat. Add half the mushrooms, garlic and thyme, plus a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and fry for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown at the edges and cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, and repeat with the remaining butter, mushrooms, garlic and thyme, seasoning again. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, keep them warm.
Leave any excess butter in the pan and, on a medium heat, gently saute the asparagus and tarragon with a pinch of salt for a minute, tossing a few times, just to warm through. Divide between four plates, then lay the mushroom discs over the spears. Scatter over the garlic and thyme and top with a poached egg. Drizzle over any butter from the pan, add a grind of pepper and a few drops of truffle oil, and serve at once.