Asparagus Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs & Creamy Dijon Dressing

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring the water to a full rolling boil over high heat—big, vigorous bubbles should be breaking all over the surface. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover with a lid and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to chill. Peel and chop the eggs and set aside.

Bring 6 cups (1.4 L) water and 4 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large shallow pot. Add the asparagus and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender-crisp. While the asparagus is cooking, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Transfer the cooked asparagus to the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve the bright green color. When cool, remove the asparagus from the ice bath and set on a clean dish towel to dry.

For the sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

To serve, arrange the asparagus spears on individual plates or a platter and spoon the sauce generously over the middle of the spears. Sprinkle the chopped eggs and chives over the sauce.