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

1poundasparagus,endstrimmed,peeled,andcutinto2inchpieces(seeNote,here)
2cupstenderpeaorsnowpeashoots,thickstems
removed
Freshlygroundblackpepper
4poachedeggs(seehere)
¼cupchoppedmixedfreshherbs,suchasparsley,
tarragon,andchives
1. Combine the dressing with the lemon zest and parsley.
Setaside.
2.Bringalargepotofsaltedwatertoarollingboil.Prepare
an ice bath. Blanch the peas in the boiling water until
brightgreenandjusttender,about1minute.Withawiremeshstrainer,transfertotheicebath.Addthesnappeas
to the boiling water and cook until bright green and just
tender,1to1½minutes.Transfertotheicebathwiththe
strainer.Addtheasparagustotheboilingwaterandcook
until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Drain
andtransfertotheicebath.
3. Remove all the vegetables from the ice bath, drain, and
transfertoarimmedbakingsheetlinedwithpapertowels
oracleankitchentoweltodry.
4.Tossthepeas,snowpeas,asparagus,andpeashootswith
three-quarters of the dressing in a large bowl. Season to
tastewithsaltandpepper.Dividethesaladevenlyamong
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,Serveimmediately.


THERULESOFBLANCHING

T

herearenosetrulesforwhatvegetablestouse

in spring or summer salads, but there are some
basicstobringthemtogetherperfectly.Herearethe
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
snappeas.

Rule#1:UseaBigPotwithLots
ofWaterataRollingBoil