Deep-fried turkey egg with asparagus

Serves 4

(Jason Lowe)

Clarence Court are launching turkey eggs as part of their seasonal offering, along with bantam, goose, rhea and pheasant eggs. Turkey eggs are slightly larger than duck eggs and have a lovely creamy texture.

4 turkey eggs (or duck eggs)
250-300g medium to thick asparagus with the woody ends trimmed
50g butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple of tablespoons of plain flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten
50-60g fresh white breadcrumbs
Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying

Soft-boil the turkey eggs by carefully placing in simmering water for 5-6 minutes, then refresh in cold water for a few minutes (if the turkey eggs are very large you may need to give them an extra minute or so). Once cool enough to handle, peel them, ensuring you have removed all of the shell.

Have three dishes ready, one with the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, one with the beaten egg and the third with the breadcrumbs. Carefully pass the eggs through the flour, shaking off any excess, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Put to one side. Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160-180C in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer. Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes until tender (2-3 minutes if they are thin ones), then drain in a colander.

Deep-fry the eggs for about 2-3 minutes or until golden, turning them as they are cooking, then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper. Arrange the asparagus in a line on warmed serving plates, season and spoon over the melted butter and place the egg on top.