Another Patina of Asparagus
by Apicius - 132 A.D., from http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/05.3histrecept.htm

The translation of the Latin text is from the edition by Grocock and Grainger. They interpretate the 'asparagorum praecisuras' not as (green) asparagus tips as do Flower and Rosenbaum (and Faas), but as the coarse, hard root-ends of the stems (Grocock and Graingers p.180). So the recipe would be a way of using kitchen waste. In my rendering of the recipe I chose for the interpretation of Flower and Rosenbaum, simply because I like the combination of green asparagus with green herbs better, but I think Grocock and Grainger are right.

aliter patina de asparagis:
adicies in moratrio asparagorum praecisuras quae proiciuntur; teres, suffundes uinum, colas, teres piper ligusticum coriandrum uiridem satureiam cepam uinum liquamen et oleum; sucum transferes in patellam perunctam et si uolueris oua dissolues ad ignem ut obliget, piper minutum asparges.

Another patina of asparagus
Put in a mortar the trimmings of asparagus which are thrown away, pound them, pour on wine and strain them. Pound pepper, lovage, green coriander, savory, onion, wine, liquamen and oil. Pour the liquor into a greased dish and if you want stir eggs in over the fire so that it thickens, sprinkle with ground pepper.

Sally Grainger’s recipe

300 g asparagus
295 ml white wine
45 ml fish sauce
45 ml passum wine
90 ml olive oil
1 tsp black peppercorns
5 eggs
6 small asparagus

Place the asparagus spears into a food processor and grind to fine pieces. Add 250ml of the white wine and leave to marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2.

Strain the juice from the mixture by passing the liquid through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth, then squeeze out as much of the liquor as possible. Discard the asparagus pulp.

In a separate pan place the fish sauce, rest of the white wine, passum wine and olive oil and cook over a low heat. Grind the peppercorns and add along with the asparagus juice. Remove the pan from the heat.

Beat the eggs together and whisk into the sauce. Grease an ovenproof dish and pour in the custard mixture (alternatively, divide the mixture among individual ramekins). Place inside another larger dish filled with water and slide into the oven. Bake for 25–35 minutes until the custard is just set.

Steam the garnish spears until just tender, while the custard is cooking.

Remove the custard, cool, and garnish with the cooked asparagus. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve.