Creamy Asparagus Scrambled Duck Eggs in Egg Cups with Lemon Zest Crème Fraîche

Remove about a 1-inch circle at the top of the duck egg with an apparatus for the purpose, or serrate it using pin pricks and cut it away with a small sharp knife tip.

Remove the raw eggs to a bowl and refrigerate. Place the shells back in the egg carton. Carefully fill the shells with boiling water. Let sit for 2 minutes, then dump the water. Invert the shells in the carton and allow the shells to drain.

Combine the crème fraîche with the lemon juice and zest. Season lightly with salt and pepper and whip in an electric mixer until fluffy.

Cut 1 1/2-inch tips from the asparagus and lightly blanche them in boiling, salted water. This will be part of your garnish. Cut the tough ends from the asparagus and thinly slice the remaining tender stalks.

With a wire whip, beat the eggs with the half and half and goat cheese until light and frothy. In a sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter and add 1/4 cup of the sliced asparagus, the shallots, morels and thyme. Cook until the morels are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs. With the wire whip, continue to rapidly stir the eggs so they stay creamy as they cook and don’t form into lumps. When they are still very soft, remove from the heat and season with a little salt and pepper.

Place each shell in an egg cup. Or try this pretty method: Cut an English cucumber into 1 1/2-inch thick slices (you’ll need 4). With a small ice cream scoop or melon baller, carve a hollow just wide and deep enough to nest the egg shell. Fill the egg shells with the egg mixture. Pipe or spoon the crème fraîche on top. Top each with an asparagus spear, a little diced radish and a thyme sprig.