Cold Eggs Argenteuil

Œufs froids Argenteuil (cold eggs with asparagus) teach the discipline of cold glazing. Their pale green chaud-froid, a velouté set softly with aspic, must cling in one smooth veil before the clear jelly goes over it. One true thing decides everything: the eggs must be thoroughly cold and absolutely dry before they meet the sauce.

The original preparation assumed a saucier, a stock never off the fire, pans of white jelly ready in the cold room, a decorative cutter, and enough hands to glaze brigade quantities repeatedly. Here, eight eggs serve four, powdered gelatin gives a dependable set to pale home stock, and a plain 1-inch cutter replaces the fancy one without changing the arrangement. Those are scaffolding. The real butter and cream, the one-third measure of asparagus purée, the trimmed egg bases, and the repeated aspic coats must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.

When it is right, each egg stands under a cool celadon glaze, glossy enough to catch the light, around crisp asparagus tips and neat coins of potato. The platter looks ceremonious, but the work is simply temperature, patience, and several thin coats rather than one heavy one. Before touching the chaud-froid, run a clean fingertip over an egg: if you feel even a trace of moisture, blot it again.