Ingredients :

• The Egg — Choose a free-range egg with a bright orange yolk — the color is part of the dish. A pale yolk in a white ramekin looks visually disappointing before you even taste it. Freshness also matters: a very fresh egg holds up better during cooking; the white doesn’t spread all over the place.
• Smoked Salmon — No need to buy the most expensive kind, but avoid the low-end stuff that releases water during cooking and leaves a white film in the ramekin. A mid-range slice is more than enough. The half-slice in the recipe is intentional — salmon is already salty; if you use too much, you’ll unbalance everything.
• Thin Asparagus — Thin, really thin. Thick green asparagus take five minutes to blanch and remain fibrous even after. Thin ones only need two minutes in boiling salted water and they are exactly where we want them: crunchy but not raw. Out of season, canned asparagus can help — rinse them well, as they are often too salty.
• Crème Fraîche — Full-fat. The light version turns to water in the oven and creates a swimming pool in the ramekin. One tablespoon of full-fat cream forms a creamy cloud around the yolk — that’s exactly the effect we’re looking for.