ingredients
serves 4
225 g (8 oz) fresh or frozen sliced French or runner beans
225 g (8 oz) fresh or frozen broad beans
225 g (8 oz) fresh or frozen peas
salt
4 large eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
sauce
25 g (1 oz) margarine or butter
25 g (1 oz) plain flour
425 ml (3/4 pint) milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
method
1. Heat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas 1/4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the fresh or frozen vegetables and cook for 10 - 15 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: melt the margarine in a small saucepan, sprinkle in the flour and stir over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes until straw-coloured. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Add the parsley and tarragon, return to the heat and simmer, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Drain the vegetables. Reserve one-third of the sauce and mix the rest into the vegetables. Heat through, very gently, transfer to a warmed serving dish and keep warm in the oven.
4. Heat the remaining sauce in the same pan. When it is very hot but not boiling, arrange the eggs on the vegetables and drizzle the hot sauce over them. Serve at once straight from the dish.
