Green Eats — Asparagus Milanese

A great way to help the environment and revitalize your own vigour is to diversify your recipe box with some meat-free dishes

By Jessica Ford | March 16, 2010

Vegetarian food doesn’t have to consist of unpronounceable meat substitutes and bunny chow. The modern take is to find protein and iron in accessible foods. While you’re at it, try including local, organic produce and sustainably raised animal proteins into the mix. We asked four restaurants from carnivorous coast to carnivorous coast to give your vegetarian reformation a kick-start or add a few exceptional dishes to your healthy leafy green repertoire.

Cibo Trattoria, 900 Seymour St., Vancouver, in the Moda Hotel, cibotrattoria.com

Cibo Trattoria is an Italian restaurant that has gotten a prodigious start. Cibo was named the best new restaurant of 2009 in enRoute magazine and was one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best Hotel Restaurants in the world. The London looker chef Neil Taylor, formerly of River Café where Jamie Oliver was discovered, has kept Italian fare high-end yet accessible, incorporating several vegetarian options in among the dishes of meatballs and offal. Cibo also ups their eco involvement by sourcing local produce and offering a bounty of local wines. This dish is evocative of Cibo’s simple sustenance that would seem right for both a late-night meal after seeing Armani at Milan Fashion Week and a dinner after a pastoral grape harvest.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2	bunch asparagus, bases removed
4	duck eggs (or hen)
	chunk of parmesan
	pinch of dry chili
	good quality extra
	virgin olive oil
100g	butter
	salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.	Put a large pan of salted water on the stove to boil. Once the water is boiling add the asparagus. While they are cooking, heat up a large frying pan (non-stick if possible) and add the butter.
2.	When it starts to lightly froth, crack the eggs into the pan and start to fry them gently. Season with salt and the dry chili. Reserve and keep warm.
3.	Once the asparagus is tender, drain and season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
4.	Place six to seven asparagus spears onto warmed plates, top with the fried egg and grate over the parmesan. Finish with more olive oil.

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