The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 969

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2inch pieces (see Note, here) 2 cups tender pea or snow pea shoots, thick stems removed Freshly ground black pepper 4 poached eggs (see here) ¼ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, and chives Combine the dressing with the lemon zest and parsley Set aside Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil Prepare an ice bath Blanch the peas in the boiling water until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute With a wiremesh strainer, transfer to the ice bath Add the snap peas to the boiling water and cook until bright green and just tender, 1 to 1½ minutes Transfer to the ice bath with the strainer Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and just tender, about minute Drain and transfer to the ice bath Remove all the vegetables from the ice bath, drain, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to dry Toss the peas, snow peas, asparagus, and pea shoots with three-quarters of the dressing in a large bowl Season to taste with salt and pepper Divide the salad evenly among four bowls Top each with a poached egg Spoon the remaining dressing over the eggs and season them with salt Garnish the salads with the lemon zest strips and herbs, Serve immediately THE RULES OF BLANCHING T here are no set rules for what vegetables to use in spring or summer salads, but there are some basics to bring them together perfectly Here are the rules I go by when blanching those vegetables This method will work for many of spring’s finest green vegetables, including but not limited to peas, fava beans, asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, snow peas, and snap peas Rule #1: Use a Big Pot with Lots of Water at a Rolling Boil .. .THE RULES OF BLANCHING T here are no set rules for what vegetables to use in spring or summer salads, but there are some basics to bring them together perfectly Here are the rules I