Prepare the soft-boiled eggs: Set a small bowl with water and ice close to the stove. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop the eggs into the boiling water, lower the heat, and simmer for exactly 6 minutes. Fish the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and drop them into a bowl of ice water. Leave them in for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and cool down the eggs. Keep the eggs in their shells in the fridge until ready to serve. You can prepare the eggs a day or two in advance, but they will be best if served room temperature. If you boiled the eggs in advance, take them out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving them.
To shell the eggs, very carefully roll one between the palm of your hand and a cutting board, so the shell cracks in a few places (apply very little pressure to avoid smashing the egg!) Peel the shell off the egg, and then rinse the egg under cold water to remove any leftover bits of shell that could still be sticking. Reserve.
Make the asparagus salad: Very thinly slice the asparagus stalks on a bias. Put into a bowl, and add the extra-virgin olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the slivered almonds and mix well.
Assemble the tartines: Toast or grill the slices of bread, then place each slice on an individual serving plate. Spread some hummus onto each slice, then top with the asparagus salad. Cut each soft-boiled egg in half and set two halves on each tartine. Sprinkle liberally with dukkah. Serve immediately.
MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Use gluten-free loaf bread.
Notes
Dukkah (sometimes spelled dukka, or duqqa) is a Middle-Eastern mixture of nuts and spices that typically contains almonds, hazelnuts, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and sesame seeds. It is traditionally enjoyed as a snack or an appetizer by dipping a piece of bread into olive oil, then into the dukka mixture. It’s also delicious sprinkled on salads, meats, and fish. Dukkah is sold in specialty grocery stores, but it’s also easy to make it at home.
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