Asparagus With Fried Eggs & Sizzled Paprika Croutons

I saw this recipe on the Facebook page for Food 52 and it was amazing and super quick to whip up. I had a old bread and broccoli that needed to be eaten up and fresh herbs from the garden. Jacob and I both thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. This is a good pantry recipe all around.

Some things I did this time were:

• If using broccoli, like the article mentioned, it's important to cut the florets into small pieces so that it cooks quickly. 
• My bread wasn't crisping up as much as I wanted and the broccoli was starting to get a little limp, so I picked out the bread and put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. It did the trick for the crunch factor, some of them actually ended up being a little overdone in my opinion. 
• Fresh Parmesan is always in our fridge so I threw a few shavings on top at the end.
• The article also mentioned adding fresh herbs, so I ran out to the garden and grabbed some parsley and chives to finish with. 
• Neither Jacob or I love super runny eggs, so I made my medium and Jacob's hard. 

Asparagus With Fried Eggs & Sizzled Paprika Croutons

Makes: 4 servings (we ate all of it)

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

     3 large slices crusty bread, torn (crust and all) into bite-sized pieces (yielding about 3 cups in total) (see author note)

     3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

     2 tablespoons unsalted butter

     4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

     1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, plus additional for sprinkling on eggs

     1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), tough ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

     1 pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste

     1 pinch black pepper, plus more to taste

     4 large eggs

Steps:

1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and garlic cloves over medium heat. Add the smoked paprika (it will gently sizzle), then mix in the bread. Stir until each piece is evenly coated in the paprika and fat. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the croutons are lightly toasted and starting to crisp around the edges (lowering the heat, if needed, to not burn the butter or paprika).
2. Move the croutons to the edges of the skillet. In the middle, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the asparagus. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir to integrate with the croutons. Saute, stirring frequently, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the croutons are nicely crisp yet soft in the middle, about 4 minutes (time may vary based on the spears’ thickness). Adjust seasoning to taste. Give the garlic cloves a quick chop and stir into the asparagus, or save for another use.
3. Either in a separate skillet, or in the same skillet (with the asparagus and croutons transferred to another dish; no need to clean the skillet), heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and a few pinches of smoked paprika evenly sprinkled over the eggs. Fry until the whites are golden brown and crispy at the edges, and yolks are still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes (or longer for yolks on the medium or well side).
4. To serve, transfer the asparagus and croutons to plates and top with the fried eggs. Serve warm.

Notes - Some notes as you get going: Any type of day-old crusty bread or sourdough is good for the croutons. Lately, I’ve been using this peasant bread (which makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich to boot). Tear (don’t cut) the bread: the irregular shapes and sizes lend a variety of textures to the croutons, and the runny yolk better clings to them (a very good thing indeed!). If you don’t have asparagus, feel free to substitute broccoli (cut into thin, small florets so they’ll cook quickly), sugar snap or snow peas, or a few handfuls of kale or other leafy greens. Even a handful of chopped herbs or scallions sprinkled over the dish before serving works well.

EAT