Asparagus and eggs pair beautifully, and hum of spring, so I was thrilled to come across a hundred-year-old recipe for Eggs, Grand Duc which is a delightful, surprisingly modern, egg and asparagus recipe.
Toast is topped with long, graceful spears of asparagus, which is immersed in a creamy cheese sauce. And, it all is topped with a perfectly poached egg.
The presentation is lovely, and would be perfect for a small Spring brunch.
Here’s the original recipe:
Here’s the recipe updated modern cooks. To make this dish more visually appealing, I used whole slices of toast instead of the toast squares called for in the original recipe. I also assembled the ingredients in a different order than called for in the original recipe.
Eggs Grand Duc
1/2 pound asparagus
4 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar.)
4 slices of bread, toasted
Asparagus
Trim asparagus spears to remove the tough sections at the bottom of the stalks. Place asparagus in a pan with a steamer. Put water in the bottom of the steamer, and cover. Heat to a boil; then reduce heat until the water simmers. Steam for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus is tender. (If preferred the asparagus can be roasted instead of steamed.)
Poached Egg Directions
Bring 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a skillet, then reduce to a simmer. Break each egg into a small bowl or cup, then slip into the water. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the poached eggs from the water using a slotted spatula, and drain on paper towels.
Cheese Sauce Directions
Using medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan; then stir in the flour and salt. Gradually add the milk while stirring constantly. Then add the cheese; continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
To Assemble
On the top of each slice of toast, arrange one-fourth of the cooked asparagus. Spoon cheese sauce on top of the asparagus, and top with a poached egg.
A Hundred Years Ago 
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of asparagus but I think this looks yummy!
It’s tasty. It’s nice to hear that you thought this recipe looked good even though you aren’t a big fan of asparagus.
I’m hungry while reading this. The photo makes me even more hungry. This looks great. It’s my kind of yummy. Thanks.
It’s delicious. I think that you’d enjoy this recipe.
Now I’m thinking about the egg poacher I used to have. It disappeared somewhere along the way. I”ve never poached an egg without using a poacher, but it might be worth developing the skill — or buying a new poacher — to try this.
I don’t find it difficult to make poached eggs without a poacher. You may want to give it a try, and see what you think. My mother had an egg poacher, but when I got married I didn’t have one. I decided to try making poached eggs without a poacher using the directions in the Betty Crocker cookbook. They turned out just fine and I’ve been making them ever since without a poacher.
Lovely Sheryl
Thank you! It’s nice to hear that you liked with recipe.
Wow, this looks good. I’m going to have to try it this spring.
They’re yummy. I think that you’d enjoy this recipe.
It is a beautiful presentation that would impress.
Thanks for the kind words. It’s nice to hear that you liked the presentation.
This sounds like a great way to serve eggs!
Eggs can sometimes be boring. This recipe is a wonderful way to make them really special.
I’ve never heard of this one. It sounds (and looks) delicious!
It’s yummy. There are some wonderful hundred-year-old recipes, and I sometimes wonder why some recipes, like this one, are not commonly made today.
Oh this looks good. If only Bill would eat cheese.
I like the flavor of the cheese sauce, but I bet this recipe would also be good with just a white sauce.
I love asparagus but had never thought of eating eat with egg. It looks good and I am going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing this. Hugs
You’re welcome. I think that you’ll enjoy it.
I am pretty sure I will. Hugs
Beautiful tasty dish. Perfect for the season! 🙂
It’s a wonderful spring dish.
This one is just in time for asparagus season! I love the old recipes using eggs with vegetables, and often they were hardboiled. They were so often grated and creamed and added to everything from mayonnaise to tomato sauces.
You’re absolutely right. There are some wonderful old-time recipes that use hard boiled eggs and vegetables. Last year, I posted a hundred-year-old Scalloped Asparagus recipe which called for chopped hard-boiled eggs.
Did you use rye bread? You did a lovely job of photography! Even made me tempted to think I might just like an egg on top… but maybe I leave that part out on my toast.😀
Thank you for the kind words. I used whole wheat bread; but, now that you mention it, I think that rye bread would work really well with this recipe.
Ok yum. Need hubby to poach the egg though haha.
Making this recipe could be a family project. 🙂
Looks fanatic and gorgeous presentation. I love asparagus! 💕
Thank you! It’s nice to hear that you liked the presentation.
This dish is beautiful. I wish I were not the only one in my family who likes asparagus.
You’ll have to have some friends over who like asparagus. 🙂
I never explored the possibility of anyone else’s liking asparagus!
Yum! Going to try this recipe. It tastes wonderful in my mind 😊
I think that you’ll enjoy this recipe. It’s yummy.
This does look delicious Sheryl. What a perfect combination of flavours.
I agree- It’s a wonderful combination of flavors.
A fancy name and it looks simply delish!!
It’s fun how people a hundred years ago sometimes came up with very elegant international sounding names for dishes.
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it out 😊 thanks for sharing!!
It’s yummy.
Your post just goes to show that some recipes never go out of style. This is definitely as up to date as can be…I had a similar breakfast at a restaurant recently.
I’m sometimes amazed by how modern some old recipes seem.