Mark Hix recipes: Fried egg, chorizo and asparagus

Serves 4

Fried egg, chorizo and asparagus makes a lovely brunch or breakfast (Jason Lowe)

This is a lovely brunch or breakfast dish. Add a piece of toast or fried bread if you want to make it more substantial. Alternatively, you can mix things up by using a duck egg.

Take care when choosing your chorizo. Nowadays, you can get some particularly fine British versions. The Bath Pig and Trealy Farm both produce chorizo that is as good as some of the best Spanish examples.

4 free-range hen or duck eggs
Rapeseed or olive oil for frying
12 mini cooking chorizo
8 or 12 medium-sized stems of asparagus
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Cook the chorizo under a medium-heat grill for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally so it colours evenly. While it is cooking, put the asparagus spears in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until they are just tender, then drain in a colander.

Gently fry the eggs in the oil, seasoning them lightly as they cook. Transfer to warmed serving plates, cut the asparagus into 2 or 3 pieces, and scatter around the eggs with the mini cooked chorizo.