“Everything about this dish is great. The breadcrumbs must be crispy and the egg yolk runny. We only use organic eggs at Cafe and have done for many years. The asparagus is grown at Lunan Bay Farm near Montrose and is just superb - support them if you can to keep our local producers thriving.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes, plus one hour to make breadcrumbs

INGREDIENTS

5 spears of Lunan Bay asparagus, or other local-to-you asparagus will do

1 large organic egg

A small handful of watercress

A few radish slices, rinsed

2-3 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A knob of butter, optional

1 to 2 slices of good bread, cut into chunks

A few thyme leaves

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat oven to 125°C / Gas Mark 0.5

Drizzle the bread with some oil then season with salt, pepper and a few thyme leaves. Dry in the oven for an hour.

Place a griddle on a high heat on the hob. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper and place the spears on the griddle to cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until nicely charred.

Next, add a tablespoon of oil to a non-stick frying pan and warm to a moderate heat. Crack in the egg and cook like a fried egg for 3 to 5 minutes until the yolk is just soft. I like to add a knob of butter too. Season with salt and pepper.

Whizz the bread croutons in a food processor until they resemble crunchy breadcrumbs.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on a plate, lay the egg on top and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Top with the watercress and radish slices and give the dish a final seasoning with salt, pepper and a trickle of rapeseed oil.