Braised Asparagus and Portobella Mushrooms, Sunnyside Up

There are a few changes I would make to this, though the base of braised portobella mushrooms is flawless. I got the idea from Anatomy of a Dish by Diane Forley, given to me by a family friend and chef. It's the God of cookbooks I've thus experienced. The author of the book is also a botanist and thus her knowledge of vegetable is far superior.

Please note that all ingredient measurements are approximate. Trust your taste and judgement, and adjust accordingly.

I'd love your comments and suggestions. Do give this a try!


Ingredients:

2 Tbs Extra virgin olive oil
2 Portobella mushroom caps
8 oz. Baby bella mushrooms (though additional portobella caps can and probably should be substituted)
A medium bunch of asparagus
2 Tbs Water
2 Tbs Soy sauce
3 Medium eggs

(For Sauce)
1/4 cup Heavy whipping cream
3 Tbs Lemon juice
1/2 Tsp Soy sauce
1/2 Tsp Plum vinegar
Black pepper
Salt to taste

Chop mushrooms into medium cubes, though they cook down so much accuracy is not of utmost importance. Hold each asparagus stalk and carefully slit them lengthwise. If you have the patience, repeat this step. You should end up with four slivers for each original stalk.

Braise mushrooms and asparagus, covered, on medium-high heat with 2 Tbs. of water (adding more if necessary). Braise is just a fancy way of saying cooked in water. It's remotely similar to steaming, which I've never actually done so I may be wrong. After aprx. 15 minutes, add the soy sauce and turn onto low heat. At this point, mushrooms should be mostly tender.

In a small sauce pan, whisk sauce ingredients together on low heat. Be sure to keep this supervised, as cream should not even risk curdling.

As the sauce heats and mushrooms and asparagus infuse, fry three eggs sunny-side up, especially careful not to let yolks break, as presentation is a major appeal of this dish.

If I made it clear enough, all that should be done at the same time. Whew!

Presentation:
Spoon mushrooms and asparagus onto a plate, top with the egg, and drizzle with the sauce. Enjoy!