🐣 A spring greeting from the oven – French, elegant, surprisingly fresh.
🌱 When classics meet spring feelings…
The combination of green asparagus and eggs à la Mimosa is deeply rooted in French spring cuisine. “Mimosa” here does not refer to the cocktail (sorry, brunch fans), but to the finely crushed egg yolk grated over boiled eggs or salads – as if the plate were dusted with yellow blossoms.
But instead of serving this ensemble in the classic salad form, we are presenting it today in a crispy tarte that becomes an Easter highlight with Comté (the aromatic nutty cheese from the Jura) and a hint of tarragon – perfect for brunch, as a starter, or even as a light main course.
🧄 What makes this tarte so special?
- Modern but familiar: Known flavors recomposed
- Seasonal: Green asparagus is the vegetable of the season
- Elegant: Ideal for guests and Easter brunch
- Vegetarian: Without meat but full of umami
🥣 The Recipe
🛒 Ingredients for one tarte (about 4 servings):
For the crust:
- 1 roll of butter puff pastry (alternatively: shortcrust pastry)
- 1 egg yolk for brushing
For the filling:
- 400 g green asparagus
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml crème fraîche
- 100 g grated Comté
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp finely chopped tarragon (fresh or ½ tsp dried)
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg
For the Mimosa topping:
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Fresh herbs (e.g., chervil, chives)
🔥 Preparation:
1. Prepare:
- Preheat oven to 200 °C (top/bottom heat).
- Place puff pastry in a greased tart pan, press edges down, prick the base with a fork.
- Brush the dough with egg yolk and pre-bake for 10 minutes.
2. Blanch asparagus:
- Trim ends, blanch spears in salted water for about 3 minutes, then cool in ice water (keeps them nice and green!).
3. Mix filling:
- Whisk eggs with crème fraîche, mustard, Comté, and tarragon.
- Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Assemble:
- Pour filling on the pre-baked base.
- Arrange asparagus spears nicely on top – best alternating growth direction for a visual appeal!
5. Bake:
- Bake at 180 °C for about 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
6. Prepare Mimosa topping:
- Peel eggs, finely chop or press egg yolks and whites separately through a sieve.
- Decoratively sprinkle over the tarte, garnish with lemon zest and herbs.
🥂 Serving suggestion:
This tarte tastes best warm or lukewarm, paired with a glass of Vermentino or a light Sauvignon Blanc.
A fresh salad with balsamic-honey vinaigrette complements it perfectly – voilà, modern Easter enjoyment is served.
💡 Tip:
This tarte can be prepared well in advance and just briefly warmed up on Easter Sunday.
Also very charming in small pans as mini tartes for an Easter buffet!