Your window for enjoying the fleeting British asparagus season is all too short: here’s some inspiration to help you make it as delicious as possible
How Do You Eat Yours?
No 1: Asparagus with fried duck egg, prosciutto and sourdough soldiers
Jo Kruczynska, owner of King Street café Afternoon Tease
“My favourite way to eat asparagus would be blanched for four minutes in salted boiling water and served simply with a beautifully rich fried duck egg from Rattlesden Farm Foods (www.rattlesdenfarmfoods.com), prosciutto and Dovecote Bakery sourdough soldiers dripping in salted butter.”
No 2: Roast asparagus with Parma ham and poached eggs
Michelle Alston, author of The Last Food Blog
Ingredients: 8 asparagus spears; 2 slices of Parma ham; 2 large free-range eggs; zest & juice of half a small lemon; Parmesan cheese; 1tbsp olive oil; 1tsp vinegar (I use malt vinegar); freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-step instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Wash and shave the asparagus, trim off any hard woody ends.
3. Place four spears of asparagus on one slice of Parma ham and place on a foil-lined baking tray, repeat.
4. Drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus then wrap the Parma ham around the spears.
5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. While the asparagus is roasting poach the eggs.
7. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering. Whisk the water until there is a vortex, add a small teaspoon of vinegar, break one egg into a ramekin dish and then pour gently into the saucepan. If you want a runny poached egg let it cook for three minutes. Remove egg, place on kitchen paper to dry off a little.
8. Serve asparagus topped with egg, some Parmesan shavings, a little lemon zest and some black pepper.
No 3: Charred asparagus and sweetcorn in a peanut and chive dressing
Nazima and Pierre Corne, of Franglais Kitchen, offer up a delicious barbecue asparagus recipe
Ingredients:
2 corn on the cobs; 50ml olive oil; juice of 1 small lemon; juice of half a lime; 1tbsp tamari soy sauce; 1tsp soft brown sugar; pinch of salt; ½tsp chipotle chilli powder (or hot paprika); 1tbsp chopped chives; 50g roasted unsalted peanuts; 20 asparagus spears; salt, pepper and a little olive oil to coat the vegetables before cooking
Step-by-step instructions:
1. Steam the sweetcorn until the kernels are soft.
2. Prepare the dressing by mixing the oil, lemon and lime juice, soy sauce and then season with sugar, salt and chilli powder.
3. Chop the peanuts and stir in the dressing.
4. Coat the asparagus and corn with a smear of olive oil, some salt and pepper.
5. Cook the vegetables on a preheated grill or barbecue until they are browned.
6. Remove the kernels of corn from the cobs using a sharp knife.
7. Lay the cooked asparagus on the serving dish.
8. Layer the sweetcorn, peanuts and chives on the top.
9. Serve warm.
Asparagus Feast at Burwash Manor
Burwash’s annual asparagus extravaganza is back on 14 May, and as ever it promises to be an unmissable event for any lovers of those tasty spring stems. Celebrate asparagus season in style from 10am until 4pm with cooking demos, tastings aplenty and tractor trailer rides out to Burwash’s own asparagus fields. There will also be yummy food on offer from mobile restaurant Provenance Kitchen, as well as liquid treats from The Juice Box and wine merchants Cozzi & Boffa, who’ll be hosting tastings.
Local asparagus stockists:
- Bushel Box Farm Shop www.bushelboxfarmshop.co.uk
- Bury Lane Farm Shop www.burylanefarmshop.co.uk
- Burwash Manor www.burwashmanor.com
- Radmore Farm Shop www.radmorefarmshop.co.uk
