Recently I was asked to make a side dish for a dinner party and I decided to do some perfectly grilled asparagus topped with a poached egg that could be cut open to reveal the runny yolk just before serving.

Being addicted to finding new ways to amp up the flavor of the grill, however, I decided to add smoke directly to the egg, something that was originally inspired by watching Chef David Chang add smoke flavor to cooked eggs by placing them in smoked water during an episode of PBS's "The Mind of a Chef."