Recipe By Rebeccah Marsters
Published on August 27, 2026
This pairing of two spring classics has a long and elevated history. But we found a few tricks to make it even better.
Time
45 minYield
Serves 6 to 8Why This Recipe Works
This old-school dish combines tender steamed asparagus spears with mustardy tarragon vinaigrette and shreds of hard-cooked egg. Blanching and shocking the asparagus proved easier than steaming, and patting it dry was necessary for the dressing to adhere. Mashing one of the hard-cooked yolks into our dressing made it thick enough to fully coat the spears, and shredding the eggs on the small holes of a box grater produced the perfect fluffy texture. Find our preferred technique for cooking eggs here.
Ingredients
2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 large hard-cooked eggs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Add asparagus and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain asparagus and transfer to ice bath. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe out bowl. (The prepared asparagus can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)Recipe TipUse asparagus spears that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in diameter.
- Whisk vinegar, shallot, tarragon, mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in now-empty bowl. Halve 1 egg and add yolk to bowl, reserving white. Mash yolk with fork until incorporated into vinegar mixture. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated; stir in capers. Add asparagus and toss to coat.
- Grate remaining 1 egg and reserved white on small holes of box grater, then season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer asparagus to serving platter and top with grated eggs. Serve.
Ask ATK
Have a Question?
We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!
3 Comments