AI-generated image
Espárragos trigueros esparragados
Espárragos esparragados: wild asparagus with fried bread, garlic, cumin and paprika
From March to May, families around Granada and Córdoba walk the field edges gathering thin, bitter wild asparagus, and the classic way to cook the haul is esparragados: simmered in a sauce of pounded fried bread, garlic, cumin and paprika, with an egg poached on top. Thin green asparagus from the shop works well too. The sauce should be thick enough to hold the egg. Chef's tip: pound the bread and garlic while still warm from the pan; they break down into a smooth paste far more easily.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 2 slices day-old bread and 4 cloves garlic for 3–4 minutes, turning, until both are evenly golden. Lift them into a mortar.
4 minStep 2: Toast 1 tsp cumin seeds in the same oil for 20 seconds until they crackle, then spoon them into the mortar too. Pound everything with ¾ tsp salt to a coarse paste, then work in 1 tbsp sherry vinegar.
Step 3: Add 1 ⅛ lb thin wild or green asparagus to the pan and fry for 3 minutes, until bright green. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika; paprika burns fast in hot oil.
3 minStep 4: Return the pan to the heat, stir the bread paste into 1 ¾ cups water and pour it over the asparagus. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the sauce is like thin porridge.
10 minStep 5: Make four hollows in the sauce and crack 4 eggs into them. Cover and cook on a low heat for 4–6 minutes, until the whites are completely set and opaque. The most common mistake is serving before the whites have set around the yolk; for anyone pregnant, very young or elderly, cook until the yolks are firm too.
6 minStep 6: Serve straight from the pan with more bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does espárragos trigueros esparragados take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Vietnamese
Spinach with mushrooms
A bright green, savoury puree of potato, mushrooms and fresh spinach cooked in home-made baby stock. Thick and smooth, it's a good way to get iron-rich greens into babies of 8–18 months. Serve warm; spare portions freeze well.
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Mexican