White asparagus with ham hock and egg dressing

Method

1. For the ham hock: cover the ham hock in water in a large pan.

2. Bring to the boil and add the vegetables, garlic and herbs to the pan.

3. Turn the heat down to a medium high heat and cook for 2 hours until the meat falls off the bone.

4. Once cooked, cut the ham into thumb sized chunks and keep warm in a bowl covered with cling film.

5. For the egg dressing and asparagus: in a saucepan of boiling water, cook the eggs for 4 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in another pan boil the asparagus in lightly salted water for about 5-6 minutes.

7. After exactly 4 minutes, remove the eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and submerge into the bowl of iced water for no longer than 10 seconds so they are cool enough to handle.

8. Peel the eggs straight away and season with salt and pepper. Break the eggs up gently into chunks, the yolks should be nice and runny.

9. Add the chopped chives and olive oil to the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir together gently.

10. Remove the asparagus from the pan and drain. Serve on top of the ham hock and drizzle over the clarified butter. Finally pour the egg dressing on top.