Œufs à la Princesse (Eggs with Asparagus Tips and Chicken, Poached or Moulded)

Ingredients

• For the poached or soft-boiled eggs:
• eggs
• tartlet crusts
• asparagus tips
• julienne of chicken breast
• sauce Crème
• truffle
• For the moulded eggs:
• butter
• truffle
• chicken forcemeat with cream
• scrambled-egg mixture
• asparagus tips
• 1 raw egg
• small round toasts
• clear Velouté de volaille

Instructions

1. For the poached or soft-boiled eggs, bind equal parts asparagus tips and julienne of chicken breast with sauce Crème and fill the tartlet crusts with the mixture.
2. Coat the eggs with sauce Crème, set a large slice of truffle on each, and arrange them on the garnished crusts.
3. For the moulded eggs, butter narrow, tall dariole moulds well and mask the bottom of each with a slice of truffle.
4. Line the sides with chicken forcemeat with cream, 3 millimetres thick.
5. Add asparagus tips and diced truffles to a very soft scrambled-egg mixture, and finish it at the last moment with 1 beaten, seasoned raw egg for every 4 scrambled eggs.
6. Fill the moulds three-quarters full with the mixture and cover with a thin layer of forcemeat.
7. Poach in a bain-marie for 12 minutes.
8. Turn out onto small round toasts and surround with clear Velouté de volaille, or serve the velouté separately.