For the asparagus, cut off the base of each stem and, using a peeler, peel from the base all the way down and round. Trim the asparagus so that all the stems are the same size and leave to one side
2 bunches of asparagus
2
For the hollandaise sauce, place the egg yolks into a metal bowl along with the vinegar and place this over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the eggs until they have formed a sabayon, then slowly add the butter, whisking all the time
3 free-range egg yolks
50ml of white wine vinegar
250g of butter
3
Remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Finish by adding a good handful of chopped chives. Reserve somewhere warm until required
salt
pepper
1 handful of chives
4
For the Parmesan crisp, grate a thin layer of Parmesan onto a sheet of parchment paper just big enough to fit into a microwave. Place in the microwave and cook for 45 seconds on medium
100g of Parmesan
5
Remove the crisp from the paper, wrap gently around a rolling pin, then grill until very light golden brown and then leave to go crisp. These will keep for a couple of days
6
To plate, place a large saucepan onto the heat and three-quarters fill with water. Bring to the boil and add the white wine vinegar. Stir the boiling water around so it causes a vortex then crack the duck eggs one at a time into the water and cook for around 6 minutes
150ml of white wine vinegar
4 duck eggs
7
Drop the asparagus into a separate pan of boiling salted water
8
Place a little pile of the wilted spinach in the centre of each serving dish, remove the asparagus from the water and drain well, then arrange around the spinach
2 handfuls of baby spinach
9
Remove the duck eggs from the water and sit in the centre of the spinach. Gently spoon over a good portion of the hollandaise
10
Garnish with the truffle and Parmesan crisp and serve