July/August 2006
- 2 slices country bread, ½ inch thick, cut in half
- 20 asparagus tips, blanched, at room temperature
- 4 thin slices country ham
- 4 slices Colby, Gouda or Muenster
- Olive oil
Parsley Egg Sauce
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sweet butter, room temperature
- Dash of Tabasco
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 hard-boiled egg, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
Combine the wine and shallots in a small saucepan and reduce by half. Add the cream. Stir, releasing the fond from the sides and bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the room-temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add the lemon juice and Tabasco. Stir in the chopped egg and parsley. Season with a little salt and a few turns of pepper from a mill. Set aside to keep warm but not hot. Pre-heat your oven to 375.
Brush the four half slices of bread with a little olive oil and bake for 2–3 minutes. On a cookie sheet, lay a slice of ham over each piece of bread, top each with five asparagus tips and a slice of cheese. Bake for 3–4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Place each asparagus in ambush in the center of your plates and spoon the parsley-egg sauce around it.
