asparagus-stuffed eggs
Deep in the Julia Child archives, past the , , jiggling aspics and the yarn about the chicken that fell from the counter, mid-trussing, and was dusted off and put back into use with a remark about “nobody’s in the kitchen but you,” there are recipes so low in butter and bacon that they hardly fit the stereotype of French food as gluttony, as are thus rarely mentioned. A good lot of them are in ; published in 1975, it contained recipes and kitchen wisdom that came from episodes of her PBS show. Gentler to novices than her Mastering the Art of French Cooking classics, the recipes were probably more familiar to American audiences, things like leek and potato soup, sauteed chicken breasts with tarragon and tomatoes, and, here, a riff on deviled eggs that I am making my mission to rescue from obscurity.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 10 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Asparagus | 6 spears (90g) | 27 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Shallot | 1 tbsp minced (10g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 4 medium asparagus spears
- 2 teaspoons very finely minced shallot, scallion or chives, plus a pinch extra for garnish
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, whipping cream, creme fraiche, sour cream and/or soft butter
- 1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon (optional)
- Few gratings fresh lemon zest (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste