I wish I’d invented this amazing way to cook an egg but I didn’t. It’s a Japanese method called Onsen Tamago, and I stumbled upon it by accident.  Well, not really. A friend of mine who loves eggs as much as I do told me about it.

Egg Cooking is Fun AND Even Ecological

And now, I’m telling you about it because it’s fun, it’s ecological, it’s one of those cooking method that results in brilliance.  The method, though, is based on practicality.  Onsen Tomago means Hot Spring, and as the story goes, those who lived near hot springs placed eggs in the hot spring water to cook, cooled them rapidly, served them.   The method I’m showing you here replicates this.

Asparagus and Egg Affinity

As for the asparagus, well the season is so short that I make the most of it and will show you asparagus dishes as often as I can. That’s what seasonality is all about.  That asparagus and eggs have a natural affinity is well known. That Japanese and French cuisine do as well is also a fact.  So, naturally, combing the two and using a new – to me – cooking method simply made all the delicious sense in the world.

Bias Good in This Case

I cut the asparagus on the bias so that when it’s set on the plate, it will more easily accept the tender eggs (which do tend to slide around and would slide right off of whole asparagus stalks even faster than that first egg slid off the cut asparagus!). The Onsen Tomago method of cooking eggs implies you like yours cooked to a minimum.  If you prefer more cooked eggs, simply poach them the traditional way, in hot water spiced up with vinegar.  Either way, the combination of eggs and asparagus will win your heart, and your palate.

Try It, S.V.P.

But maybe try the Onsen Tomago egg cooking method first? I encourage you. It respects everything in life, from conserving energy to empowering the already outrageous amazingness of the egg.